The price and cost of living in Mexico, part 1

Many people, while visiting Playa del Carmen and especially during our tours, ask us what life in Mexico is like. Is it expensive? How much does this or that cost? So we decided to go on a mission to the supermarket to record prices.

Below you will find a price comparison between France and Mexico. Bear in mind that Playa del Carmen is not exactly representative of the rest of the country: everything is more expensive here, because the region is very touristy. Food, rent and life in general cost more here than in the other states.

The prices were recorded in a supermarket in Playa del Carmen and compared with an equivalent chain in France, using the official exchange rate of the day, in euros.

Our basket in France comes to 148,12 € against 77,61 € in Mexico, that is almost 50 % cheaper. In general everything is cheaper in Mexico, but the standard of living is not the same either.

On the wage side

The minimum wage in Mexico, and not the average wage, is around 120 € a month against 1 132 € in France. On the Riviera Maya wages are a little higher: a waiter in a small business will earn around 350 € a month without tips, a receptionist around 530 € a month.

The number of hours per week is on average 43 h against 35 h in France. We hope this gives you a concrete idea of the cost of living here.

Going further

We did this survey again a few years later, adding property, wages, healthcare and schooling: it is part 2 of this guide.