How Much Does It Cost to Spend a Month in Playa del Carmen?
As you may know, Luna and I spent the last month of our lives in Playa del Carmen (known affectionately by some locals as Playa del Karma). We came just as the rainy season was beginning, which meant a few horribly hot days interspersed with wonderful, drenching rainstorms that cooled the air and changed the landscape.
As usual, I’ve tried to track my spending for you so that you can see just how easy it is to live around the world on a budget.
Also as usual, you’ll find detailed notes under the budget numbers below. Those notes should give you an idea of how I lived and why the budget numbers look the way they do.
Without further ado, then, my budget in Playa del Carmen from June 13 to July 12:
| Pesos | Dollars | |
| Small studio, 10+ mins to beach | 9475.71 | $736 |
| Taxis + transport | 302 | $23.47 |
| Groceries and supplies | 2289.35 | $178.36 |
| Eating/drinking out | 3093 | $240.97 |
| Laundry | 70 | $5.44 |
| Dog food, supplies, & vet bills | 786 | $61.09 |
| Activities (incl. massages and HOLDING A BABY MONKEY) | 900 | $70.12 |
| Gifts | 311.61 | $24.28 |
| ATM & exchange fees | 138 | $10.73 |
Total Pesos: 17,365.67 / Total Dollars: $1,350.46
Notes on my Mexico spending:
The humidity of Mexico had an interesting effect on me. Anytime I drink an alcoholic beverage, for the most part, I end up with a splitting headache. What this means in terms of spending is that my eating and drinking out budget reflects very little drinking (instead, I was buying Gatorade, coffee, smoothies, and virgin daquiris). So if you are planning to party it up, do plan for a larger budget.
My little studio was not the cheapest option in town, so you could easily spend a little less on accommodations (and, frankly, probably find a nicer space). Also, my studio didn’t come equipped with certain essentials (a can opener and corkscrew, for instance), so my budget reflects some small spending on things that I normally wouldn’t have to buy.
Having someone else do my laundry here cost less than $2 per load, so I never did my own laundry.
As usual, I was working during my time here – so if you are spending all your time exploring, doing activities, swimming with dolphins, etc. etc., you will probably spend more than I did. Though if your favorite thing to do is lay on the beach or take long shoreline walks, your life down here will probably be as cheap as mine.
Looking for more cost breakdowns? Check out my full list of travel cost blog posts.
Did this post help you? Share the love by:
:: Buying a copy of my Italy, France, Switzerland, Paris, Barcelona, or Prague guides (already have one? Gift another to a friend!)
:: Clicking here before you make your next Amazon order (it doesn’t matter what you order, if you start by clicking from my site, I’ll get a commission!)
Comments
-
-
Maria
Love the cost details and your breakdown for Ali on Sayulita – great intel in this post – Thanks!
-
Jamie
I have read your posts on Sayulita and was wondering if you would compare it to Tulum at all? I spend a very relaxing 3 weeks in Tulum last year and am now looking to head to Sayulita but don’t know anything about it. Do you recommend the Playa Escondida? any other travel advise for someone heading to Sayulita?
Ali
Playa del Carmen vs Sayulita? Which place did you like better and why? Trying to plan our winter escape, potentially to Mexico.