Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ca Mau and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Ca Mau: $733 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Ca Mau
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Ca Mau Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Ca Mau

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$733

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $733 per month in Ca Mau vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ca Mau $733
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,201 per month in Ca Mau vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ca Mau $1,201
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,669 per month in Ca Mau vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ca Mau $1,669
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Ca Mau is about 39% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ca Mau and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Ca Mau 46% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.23 ₫57.3K

$10.67 MX$199

-79.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.03 ₫464.5K

$43.80 MX$815

-58.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.72 ₫95.7K

$11.79 MX$219

-68.45%

Cappuccino

$1.50 ₫38.6K

$3.79 MX$70.5

-60.42%

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

$0.52 ₫13.3K

$1.30 MX$24.14

-60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,785

$0.83 MX$15.51

-59.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ₫23.9K

$3.15 MX$58.6

-70.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₫35.0K

$4.93 MX$91.8

-72.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₫40.1K

$1.41 MX$26.22

10.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₫24.2K

$2.20 MX$40.86

-57.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₫23.6K

$1.47 MX$27.40

-37.41%

Eggs

$1.43 ₫36.9K

$2.50 MX$46.47

-42.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 ₫272.8K

$7.29 MX$136

45.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ₫86.3K

$7.95 MX$148

-57.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 ₫247.7K

$12.86 MX$239

-25.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.6K

$2.90 MX$53.9

6.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$1.38 MX$25.74

-23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ₫36.0K

$2.49 MX$46.36

-43.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.2K

$2.03 MX$37.78

-42.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 ₫25.2K

$2.02 MX$37.69

-51.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ₫34.5K

$1.90 MX$35.42

-29.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$1.14 MX$21.30

-45.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$1.24 MX$23.06

-54.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.53 ₫39.4K

$4.27 MX$79.5

-64.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.68 ₫223.6K

$9.81 MX$183

-11.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₫22.9K

$1.59 MX$29.51

-44.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₫42.6K

$2.75 MX$51.1

-40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₫7,818

$0.51 MX$9.58

-41.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.64 ₫196.9K

$27.39 MX$510

-72.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₫20.2K

$4.76 MX$88.6

-83.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ₫13.8K

$3.25 MX$60.5

-83.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 ₫63.1K

$5.39 MX$100

-54.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₫24.2K

$1.53 MX$28.44

-38.56%

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

$32.3K ₫833.3M

$21.2K MX$394.8K

52.48%

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

$24.4K ₫628.0M

$23.3K MX$432.9K

4.79%

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

$77.9 ₫2.0M

$83.5 MX$1,554

-6.73%

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

$5.14 ₫132.5K

$23.19 MX$431

-77.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.54 ₫194.1K

$27.61 MX$514

-72.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.34 ₫524.0K

$56.4 MX$1,050

-63.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.88 ₫202.9K

$28.19 MX$525

-72.05%

Cinema Ticket

$2.87 ₫73.9K

$5.00 MX$93.1

-42.60%

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

$372 ₫9.6M

$207 MX$3,854

79.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ₫379.6M

$5,231 MX$97.4K

181.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.95 ₫1.2M

$43.45 MX$809

8.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.04 ₫645.0K

$42.54 MX$792

-41.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 ₫2.3M

$72.8 MX$1,354

22.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 ₫1.7M

$88.4 MX$1,645

-23.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 ₫10.7M

$995 MX$18.5K

-58.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ₫6.7M

$382 MX$7,116

-32.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 ₫17.2M

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-60.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₫16.1M

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-42.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,345 ₫60.4M

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-40.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,362 ₫35.1M

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-77.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

11.45

-28.65%

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

Last update for Ca Mau: October 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ca Mau

$258 35.3%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 48% $124

Groceries & Markets

Ca Mau

$185 25.2%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 39.1% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Ca Mau

$103 14%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 8.1% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ca Mau

$91 12.4%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 48.3% $44

Eating Out

Ca Mau

$58 7.9%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 247% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Ca Mau

$26 3.6%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 155% $40

Getting Around

Ca Mau

$12 1.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 309% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $416 in Ca Mau versus $995 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 $18 in Ca Mau versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $257 – making Ca Mau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ca Mau

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:42 9:42 PM

09:42 9:42 AM

12 h behind Ca Mau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

226,372

149,923

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,880 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.86 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ca Mau Playa del Carmen 16,440 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Ca Mau
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,100 per month in Ca Mau and $1,804 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 Ca Mau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Ca Mau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $372 per month in Ca Mau and $207 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 Ca Mau, where all-in costs run around $733, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Ca Mau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $733 in Ca Mau to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Ca Mau is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 39% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.