Cost of Living Comparison Between Tres Cantos and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Tres Cantos and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,604 per month in Tres Cantos vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,362 per month in Tres Cantos vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,121 per month in Tres Cantos vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tres Cantos costs about 28% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Tres Cantos sits 20% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 €13.34

$11.99 MX$210

27.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 €51.3

$41.78 MX$733

40.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 €9.24

$10.75 MX$189

-1.77%

Cappuccino

$2.27 €1.99

$3.50 MX$61.3

-35.14%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.12

$1.45 MX$25.41

66.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.44

$0.88 MX$15.52

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.95 MX$51.7

15.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.97

$4.51 MX$79.1

-24.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.07

$1.43 MX$25.12

-14.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.84 MX$32.23

-24.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 €1.42

$1.57 MX$27.51

3.18%

Eggs

$2.90 €2.54

$2.51 MX$44.06

15.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 €11.76

$8.28 MX$145

62.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 €7.57

$8.43 MX$148

2.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 €13.00

$10.68 MX$187

39.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.17

$2.61 MX$45.76

-4.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.44 MX$25.22

40.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.67

$1.96 MX$34.41

-2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.35

$2.09 MX$36.74

28.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.85 MX$32.47

-4.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.17 MX$38.02

-11.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.03 MX$18.09

32.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.62

$1.07 MX$18.84

-33.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.25 €5.47

$4.10 MX$72.0

52.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.84 €5.11

$10.17 MX$178

-42.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.09

$1.68 MX$29.38

-26.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.53 MX$44.31

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.51

$0.51 MX$8.93

237.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.26 €29.98

$26.04 MX$457

31.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.60

$3.23 MX$56.7

27.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.05

$2.41 MX$42.19

-50.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.08 €21.94

$3.23 MX$56.6

676.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.32 MX$23.17

33.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.2K €33.4K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

28.47%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.8K €27.0K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

30.25%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$135 €118

$82.0 MX$1,439

64.14%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.21 €18.56

$22.95 MX$403

-7.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.20 €28.17

$30.11 MX$528

6.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.29 €42.25

$52.0 MX$912

-7.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.06 €13.18

$18.53 MX$325

-18.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.43 €8.25

$4.98 MX$87.3

89.36%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$403 €353

$197 MX$3,463

104.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,578 €6,630

$5,336 MX$93.6K

42.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €74.8

$35.60 MX$624

140.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.87 €32.26

$40.33 MX$707

-8.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 €79.2

$78.8 MX$1,381

15.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €93.2

$88.9 MX$1,560

19.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 €740

$947 MX$16.6K

-10.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 €597

$474 MX$8,314

44.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 €1,171

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-18.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 €878

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-17.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,626 €3,172

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-10.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 €1,705

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-69.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,315 €2,900

$654 MX$11.5K

406.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.42

-69.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Tres Cantos: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $846 in Tres Cantos versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 407% higher in Tres Cantos, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Tres Cantos versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tres Cantos vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tres Cantos is pricier by about 28%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,406 per month in Tres Cantos and $1,884 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,604 in Tres Cantos and $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Tres Cantos at $1,604. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tres Cantos it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tres Cantos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.