Cost of Living Comparison Between Tumba and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Tumba and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,960 per month in Tumba vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,030 per month in Tumba vs $2,276 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,099 per month in Tumba vs $3,280 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tumba costs about 54% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Tumba sits 45% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.56 SEK 138

$12.84 MX$220

13.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 SEK 640

$45.54 MX$779

48.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 SEK 101

$12.58 MX$215

-15.50%

Cappuccino

$4.40 SEK 41.65

$3.93 MX$67.2

11.96%

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

$2.70 SEK 25.63

$1.38 MX$23.66

95.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SEK 22.10

$0.75 MX$12.91

210.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.8

$3.04 MX$52.1

138.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 SEK 70.4

$6.80 MX$116

9.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.09

$1.67 MX$28.52

7.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 SEK 30.65

$2.22 MX$37.94

45.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 SEK 37.51

$1.70 MX$29.05

132.94%

Eggs

$5.17 SEK 48.96

$2.67 MX$45.62

93.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.79 SEK 131

$9.13 MX$156

51.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 SEK 132

$8.94 MX$153

55.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 SEK 167

$12.54 MX$215

40.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 SEK 30.81

$2.99 MX$51.2

8.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 25.54

$1.53 MX$26.21

76.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 SEK 20.25

$2.14 MX$36.65

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 SEK 44.64

$2.29 MX$39.24

105.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 SEK 14.80

$2.05 MX$35.11

-23.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.79

$2.04 MX$34.96

-7.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 SEK 22.61

$1.21 MX$20.74

97.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 SEK 18.56

$1.18 MX$20.19

66.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.30 SEK 69.2

$4.62 MX$79.1

58.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 SEK 101

$10.41 MX$178

2.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 SEK 18.72

$1.65 MX$28.19

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 22.01

$2.93 MX$50.1

-20.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 SEK 42.32

$0.59 MX$10.17

657.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 SEK 1,023

$28.43 MX$487

279.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 SEK 57.9

$5.07 MX$86.7

20.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 SEK 14.49

$3.66 MX$62.6

-58.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.8 SEK 576

$5.85 MX$100

938.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 SEK 17.43

$1.57 MX$26.84

17.20%

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

$34.4K SEK 325.5K

$22.3K MX$381.6K

54.08%

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

$34.6K SEK 327.9K

$25.7K MX$440.6K

34.41%

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

$184 SEK 1,743

$88.7 MX$1,518

107.53%

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

$23.04 SEK 218

$22.82 MX$391

0.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.34 SEK 468

$30.42 MX$521

62.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.85 SEK 397

$68.3 MX$1,169

-38.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.69 SEK 272

$28.60 MX$490

0.31%

Cinema Ticket

$16.63 SEK 158

$4.94 MX$84.6

236.64%

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

$173 SEK 1,642

$216 MX$3,700

-19.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,213 SEK 49.4K

$4,146 MX$71.0K

25.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 SEK 1,132

$46.48 MX$796

157.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 SEK 538

$44.13 MX$755

28.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 SEK 937

$92.2 MX$1,578

7.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 SEK 1,862

$93.4 MX$1,598

110.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 SEK 6,932

$1,080 MX$18.5K

-32.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 SEK 5,399

$389 MX$6,660

46.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 SEK 13.9K

$1,935 MX$33.1K

-24.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$941 SEK 8,913

$1,277 MX$21.9K

-26.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,404 SEK 41.7K

$3,958 MX$67.7K

11.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,164 SEK 30.0K

$6,438 MX$110.2K

-50.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 MX$12.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

11.6

-72.41%

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

Last update for Tumba: August 3, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $732 in Tumba versus $1,080 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Tumba versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $274 – 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

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

Yes – Tumba is pricier by about 54%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,940 per month in Tumba and $1,907 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 $1,960 in Tumba and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 280% 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 $1,271, than in Tumba at $1,960. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tumba 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, Tumba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.