Cost of Living Comparison Between Zell am see and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Zell am see and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,173 per month in Zell am see vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,204 per month in Zell am see vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,235 per month in Zell am see vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zell am see costs about 72% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Zell am see sits 63% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 €10.11

$11.72 MX$203

-0.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 €71.4

$41.89 MX$725

96.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 €8.76

$10.51 MX$182

-3.81%

Cappuccino

$4.30 €3.72

$3.59 MX$62.0

19.78%

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

$3.63 €3.14

$1.51 MX$26.10

140.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.32

$0.92 MX$15.83

191.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €4.97

$2.96 MX$51.2

93.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 €4.23

$4.41 MX$76.3

10.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.38

$1.40 MX$24.16

13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 €2.93

$1.88 MX$32.60

80.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 €2.02

$1.56 MX$26.97

49.36%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.47

$2.61 MX$45.14

53.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.71 €15.34

$8.32 MX$144

112.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.18 €14.01

$8.35 MX$145

93.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.73 €20.55

$10.86 MX$188

118.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 €2.12

$2.71 MX$46.93

-9.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.93

$1.51 MX$26.04

47.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 €2.93

$1.87 MX$32.41

80.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 €3.40

$2.19 MX$37.89

79.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.16

$1.86 MX$32.14

33.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.23 MX$38.59

-7.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.07 MX$18.48

80.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.65

$1.09 MX$18.79

-31.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 €5.84

$4.19 MX$72.4

60.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.54

$10.43 MX$180

-27.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.66 MX$28.68

-9.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.54

$2.61 MX$45.19

-31.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 €2.45

$0.54 MX$9.37

424.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 €52.4

$26.16 MX$453

131.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 €2.63

$3.08 MX$53.3

-1.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$2.40 MX$41.61

-65.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.41 €24.60

$3.13 MX$54.1

807.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.31 MX$22.69

34.35%

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

$28.8K €24.9K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-3.50%

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

$29.8K €25.8K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

27.65%

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

$352 €305

$81.3 MX$1,406

332.87%

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

$19.97 €17.29

$22.56 MX$390

-11.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.94 €34.58

$30.05 MX$520

32.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.96 €40.66

$52.9 MX$915

-11.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 €22.16

$18.39 MX$318

39.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.12 €12.23

$4.92 MX$85.1

186.99%

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

$459 €398

$201 MX$3,474

128.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,525 €3,918

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-12.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.7

$35.92 MX$622

181.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.76 €34.43

$40.13 MX$694

-0.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €103

$79.7 MX$1,379

48.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$86.5 MX$1,496

48.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 €780

$978 MX$16.9K

-7.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 €732

$470 MX$8,140

79.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 €1,391

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-2.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 €1,104

$1,203 MX$20.8K

5.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,518 €4,779

$3,953 MX$68.4K

39.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,183 €3,623

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-36.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

11.42

-65.94%

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

Last update for Zell am see: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Zell am see versus $978 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 $82.0 in Zell am see versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $394 vs $252 – 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

Zell am see vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zell am see is pricier by about 72%, 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 $3,259 per month in Zell am see and $1,890 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 $2,173 in Zell am see and $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 131% 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 $1,260, than in Zell am see at $2,173. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zell am see 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, Zell am see makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.