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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,645 per month in Tumon vs $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,677 per month in Tumon vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,710 per month in Tumon vs $3,362 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tumon costs about 26% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Tumon sits 19% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.42 $25.42

$11.96 MX$202

112.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.3 $51.3

$47.38 MX$801

8.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.10 $13.10

$11.75 MX$199

11.49%

Cappuccino

$6.05 $6.05

$4.12 MX$69.7

46.84%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$1.40 MX$23.66

116.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$0.91 MX$15.43

228.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 $7.02

$3.21 MX$54.2

118.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.07 MX$120

25.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.35

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.36

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.00

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.60

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.90

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.70

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.58

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.96

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.70

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.47

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.48

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.8

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.60

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.79 $6.79

$0.60 MX$10.19

1031.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.5

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.65 MX$61.7

-46.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.01

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$25.8K MX$436.5K

11.82%

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

$90.7 MX$1,533

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

$25.19 MX$426

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$537

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,163

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$497

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.2

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

$226 MX$3,816

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$801

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$735

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,356

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,545

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 $2,493

$1,086 MX$18.4K

129.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 $1,203

$409 MX$6,910

194.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,268 $3,268

$1,972 MX$33.3K

65.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,607 $2,607

$1,281 MX$21.7K

103.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

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: September 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,493 in Tumon versus $1,086 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 $51.0 in Tumon versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

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 – Tumon is pricier by about 26%, 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 $2,468 per month in Tumon and $1,958 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 $1,645 in Tumon and $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Tumon and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Tumon at $1,645. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tumon 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, Tumon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.