Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trujillo and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Trujillo: $865 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Trujillo
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Trujillo Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Trujillo

🇵🇪 Peru

$865

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Trujillo and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Trujillo and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $865 per month in Trujillo vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Trujillo $865
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,332 per month in Trujillo vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Trujillo $1,332
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,799 per month in Trujillo vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Trujillo $1,799
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Trujillo is about 28% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Trujillo and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Trujillo 36% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 PEN 11.76

$10.67 MX$200

-67.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.82 PEN 78.5

$43.80 MX$823

-47.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.05 PEN 24.25

$11.79 MX$221

-40.20%

Cappuccino

$3.36 PEN 11.57

$3.79 MX$71.1

-11.35%

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

$0.95 PEN 3.28

$1.30 MX$24.36

-26.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.23

$0.83 MX$15.65

-21.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 PEN 6.88

$3.15 MX$59.1

-36.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 PEN 11.96

$4.93 MX$92.7

-29.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 PEN 4.69

$1.41 MX$26.46

-3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 PEN 6.82

$2.20 MX$41.23

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.05

$1.47 MX$27.66

-19.73%

Eggs

$4.09 PEN 14.08

$2.50 MX$46.89

63.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 PEN 26.67

$7.29 MX$137

6.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.60 PEN 22.71

$7.95 MX$149

-16.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 PEN 31.87

$12.86 MX$242

-27.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 PEN 5.72

$2.90 MX$54.4

-42.76%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 PEN 2.09

$1.38 MX$25.98

-55.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.59 PEN 2.05

$2.49 MX$46.78

-76.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 PEN 2.94

$2.03 MX$38.12

-58.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.16

$2.02 MX$38.03

-54.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.06

$1.90 MX$35.74

-37.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 PEN 4.17

$1.14 MX$21.49

6.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 PEN 3.88

$1.24 MX$23.27

-8.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 PEN 14.95

$4.27 MX$80.2

1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.81 PEN 19.98

$9.81 MX$184

-40.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 PEN 6.09

$1.59 MX$29.78

11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 PEN 5.31

$2.75 MX$51.6

-44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 PEN 2.05

$0.51 MX$9.67

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.98 PEN 58.4

$27.39 MX$514

-38.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 PEN 8.50

$4.76 MX$89.4

-48.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 PEN 7.29

$3.25 MX$61.0

-34.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 PEN 19.41

$5.39 MX$101

4.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 PEN 5.59

$1.53 MX$28.70

5.88%

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

$17.2K PEN 59.2K

$21.2K MX$398.4K

-18.95%

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

$27.1K PEN 93.3K

$23.3K MX$436.9K

16.60%

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

$96.7 PEN 333

$83.5 MX$1,568

15.76%

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

$13.12 PEN 45.15

$23.19 MX$435

-43.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.57 PEN 91.4

$27.61 MX$519

-3.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.73 PEN 133

$56.4 MX$1,060

-31.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 PEN 20.32

$28.19 MX$529

-79.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PEN 15.20

$5.00 MX$93.9

-11.60%

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

$108 PEN 373

$207 MX$3,889

-47.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,074 PEN 7,137

$5,231 MX$98.2K

-60.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 PEN 243

$43.45 MX$816

62.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.28 PEN 49.14

$42.54 MX$799

-66.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.39 PEN 156

$72.8 MX$1,367

-37.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.88 PEN 151

$88.4 MX$1,660

-50.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 PEN 1,295

$995 MX$18.7K

-62.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 PEN 875

$382 MX$7,181

-33.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 PEN 2,571

$1,674 MX$31.4K

-55.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 PEN 1,739

$1,081 MX$20.3K

-53.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,143 PEN 3,932

$3,909 MX$73.4K

-70.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 PEN 1,888

$832 MX$15.6K

-34.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

11.45

2.18%

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

Last update for Trujillo: November 3, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Trujillo

$254 29.4%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 50.4% $128

Groceries & Markets

Trujillo

$204 23.6%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 26% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Trujillo

$136 15.8%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 1.5% $2.1

Eating Out

Trujillo

$112 13%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 78.6% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Trujillo

$78 9.1%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 41.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Trujillo

$48 5.5%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 39.7% $19

Getting Around

Trujillo

$32 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 55.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $376 in Trujillo versus $995 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 52% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Trujillo versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $257 – making Trujillo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Trujillo

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

Same time as Trujillo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

314,939

149,923

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.87 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Trujillo Playa del Carmen 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Trujillo
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,298 per month in Trujillo and $1,804 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 Trujillo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $376 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $865 in Trujillo and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Trujillo about 28% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Trujillo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Trujillo, where all-in costs run around $865, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Trujillo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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