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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $984 per month in Tunapuna vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,736 per month in Tunapuna vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,488 per month in Tunapuna vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tunapuna is about 22% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Tunapuna and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Tunapuna 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.49 TTD 70.6

$11.60 MX$200

-9.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 TTD 500

$47.11 MX$812

57.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 TTD 54.2

$11.88 MX$205

-32.24%

Cappuccino

$3.76 TTD 25.29

$3.98 MX$68.6

-5.53%

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

$1.00 TTD 6.70

$1.43 MX$24.60

-30.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 TTD 5.16

$0.82 MX$14.22

-6.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 TTD 12.09

$3.19 MX$55.0

-43.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 TTD 19.50

$6.79 MX$117

-57.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 TTD 13.97

$1.68 MX$28.89

23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 TTD 15.21

$2.20 MX$37.88

2.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.89 TTD 19.42

$1.71 MX$29.45

69.01%

Eggs

$3.82 TTD 25.67

$2.74 MX$47.26

39.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 TTD 45.53

$9.58 MX$165

-29.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.19 TTD 68.6

$9.01 MX$155

13.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.95 TTD 60.2

$12.81 MX$221

-30.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 TTD 37.46

$2.89 MX$49.81

92.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 TTD 16.56

$1.50 MX$25.81

64.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 TTD 24.33

$2.15 MX$37.03

68.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 TTD 28.17

$2.26 MX$38.96

85.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 TTD 4.80

$1.98 MX$34.15

-64.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 TTD 4.75

$1.99 MX$34.30

-64.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 TTD 9.75

$1.23 MX$21.28

17.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 TTD 7.83

$1.20 MX$20.63

-3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 TTD 35.21

$4.55 MX$78.5

14.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.07 TTD 128

$10.37 MX$179

83.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 TTD 10.48

$1.62 MX$27.91

-3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 TTD 20.53

$2.88 MX$49.67

5.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 TTD 6.07

$5.39 MX$92.9

-83.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 TTD 5.83

$3.73 MX$64.3

-76.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.53 TTD 97.8

$5.77 MX$99.5

151.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 TTD 7.57

$1.54 MX$26.48

-27.27%

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

$37.3K TTD 251.1K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

65.48%

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

$41.0K TTD 275.6K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

57.19%

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

$44.82 TTD 302

$91.4 MX$1,576

-50.95%

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

$42.35 TTD 285

$25.20 MX$435

68.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.63 TTD 300

$31.24 MX$539

42.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 TTD 58.3

$4.86 MX$83.8

78.40%

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

$402 TTD 2,707

$224 MX$3,856

79.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K TTD 72.5K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

154.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 TTD 371

$47.10 MX$812

16.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.82 TTD 248

$44.29 MX$764

-16.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 TTD 598

$80.1 MX$1,381

11.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 TTD 400

$92.7 MX$1,598

-35.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 TTD 1,886

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-73.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 TTD 1,615

$390 MX$6,728

-38.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 TTD 4,542

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-68.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$590 TTD 3,969

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-53.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

11.45

-49.78%

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

Last update for Tunapuna: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $280 in Tunapuna versus $1,063 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 $74.0 in Tunapuna versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $276 – 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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 29%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,475 per month in Tunapuna and $1,899 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 Tunapuna, 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 $984 in Tunapuna and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $402 per month in Tunapuna and $224 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tunapuna, where all-in costs run around $984, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Tunapuna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tunapuna – 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 Tunapuna. 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.