Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tumon and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Tumon: $429 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Tumon

🇬🇺 Guam

$429

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tumon 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 Tumon and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $429 per month in Tumon vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tumon $429
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,002 per month in Tumon vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tumon $2,002
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,574 per month in Tumon vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tumon $3,574
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Tumon is about 64% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tumon and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Tumon 68% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 $25.37

$10.86 MX$203

133.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 $51.7

$44.21 MX$824

16.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 $12.95

$11.76 MX$219

10.12%

Cappuccino

$6.01 $6.01

$3.68 MX$68.6

63.32%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$1.34 MX$25.01

127.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$0.82 MX$15.38

269.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.06 MX$57.1

132.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.94 MX$92.1

79.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.41

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.32

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.57

Eggs

$2.49 MX$46.41

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$140

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$148

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$234

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.61

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.81

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.85

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.72

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$37.08

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$79.4

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.67

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.62

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.87 $6.87

$0.53 MX$9.82

1196.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$513

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$91.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.43 MX$64.1

-43.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$27.00

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

$21.2K MX$394.5K

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

$29.1K $29.1K

$23.0K MX$429.2K

26.52%

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

$85.4 MX$1,592

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

$23.46 MX$438

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$530

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,160

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$535

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$95.2

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

$201 MX$3,749

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$73.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$828

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$771

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,356

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,671

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,950

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,433 $2,433

$1,095 MX$20.4K

122.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$114.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Tumon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tumon

–

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Groceries & Markets

Tumon

–

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Eating Out

Tumon

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tumon

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Tumon

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Tumon

–

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Getting Around

Tumon

–

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Tumon versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇬🇺 Tumon

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

10:04 10:04 AM

15 h behind Tumon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,943

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18.65 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tumon Playa del Carmen 13,190 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Tumon
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 181%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $643 per month in Tumon and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $429 in Tumon and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 181%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Tumon and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tumon, where all-in costs run around $429, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Tumon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tumon – 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 Tumon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.