Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turrialba and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,726 in Turrialba, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Turrialba
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Turrialba Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Turrialba

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,726

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,726 per month in Turrialba vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Turrialba $1,726
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,753 per month in Turrialba vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Turrialba $2,753
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,779 per month in Turrialba vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Turrialba $3,779
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Turrialba costs about 43% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Turrialba sits 27% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.97 ₡5,370

$10.86 MX$201

10.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$44.21 MX$817

37.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 ₡5,283

$11.76 MX$217

0.17%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,946

$3.68 MX$68.0

17.93%

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

$2.75 ₡1,233

$1.34 MX$24.79

105.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡871

$0.82 MX$15.24

136.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,488

$3.06 MX$56.6

8.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₡1,973

$4.94 MX$91.2

-10.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.47 MX$27.17

59.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₡1,372

$2.22 MX$40.95

37.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,134

$1.48 MX$27.32

70.95%

Eggs

$3.60 ₡1,612

$2.49 MX$45.99

44.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,726

$7.52 MX$139

40.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,630

$7.96 MX$147

29.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 ₡6,352

$12.57 MX$232

12.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 ₡2,273

$2.78 MX$51.3

82.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.43 MX$26.37

9.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,124

$2.62 MX$48.37

80.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 ₡1,782

$2.14 MX$39.49

85.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,754

$2.02 MX$37.38

93.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,663

$1.99 MX$36.74

86.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡505

$1.14 MX$21.01

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,431

$1.20 MX$22.18

165.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,724

$4.26 MX$78.7

42.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.24 ₡9,076

$10.02 MX$185

102.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 ₡1,274

$1.54 MX$28.41

84.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$2.66 MX$49.17

35.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 ₡574

$0.53 MX$9.73

141.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 ₡1,101

$4.90 MX$90.6

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$3.43 MX$63.5

-54.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ₡3,948

$5.38 MX$99.4

63.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡671

$1.45 MX$26.76

3.45%

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

$22.2K ₡10.0M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

5.13%

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

$34.6K ₡15.5M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

50.11%

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

$96.4 ₡43.2K

$85.4 MX$1,577

12.96%

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

$35.27 ₡15.8K

$23.46 MX$434

50.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 ₡26.5K

$28.43 MX$525

108.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.7 ₡33.0K

$62.2 MX$1,149

18.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 ₡3,527

$5.10 MX$94.3

54.31%

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

$993 ₡445.3K

$201 MX$3,715

393.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ₡7.8M

$3,947 MX$72.9K

337.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.3K

$44.39 MX$820

62.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.3K

$41.35 MX$764

36.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$72.7 MX$1,344

76.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.1K

$89.6 MX$1,656

49.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 ₡362.3K

$979 MX$18.1K

-17.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₡280.7K

$373 MX$6,887

67.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 ₡838.7K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

11.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₡577.2K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

17.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.45

-24.72%

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

Last update for Turrialba: 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

Turrialba

$626 36.3%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 40.4% $253

Groceries & Markets

Turrialba

$402 23.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 35.7% $143

Eating Out

Turrialba

$227 13.2%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 11.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Turrialba

$191 11.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 28.1% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Turrialba

$176 10.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 36.5% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Turrialba

$89 5.2%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 19% $17

Getting Around

Turrialba

$15 * 0.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 235% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $808 in Turrialba versus $979 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 $61.0 in Turrialba versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Turrialba

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

06:34 6:34 AM

1 h ahead of Turrialba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Turrialba Playa del Carmen 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Turrialba
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

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

Yes – Turrialba is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,589 per month in Turrialba and $1,806 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 $1,726 in Turrialba and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 43%.

Kindergarten costs $993 per month in Turrialba and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Turrialba at $1,726. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Turrialba 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, Turrialba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.