Cost of Living Comparison Between Cadca and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Cadca and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,475 per month in Cadca vs $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,045 per month in Cadca vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,616 per month in Cadca vs $3,362 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cadca costs about 13% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Cadca sits 7% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 €8.34

$11.96 MX$203

-19.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.26 €30.39

$47.38 MX$804

-25.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 €8.87

$11.75 MX$199

-12.43%

Cappuccino

$3.22 €2.78

$4.12 MX$70.0

-21.84%

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

$2.34 €2.02

$1.40 MX$23.75

67.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.91 MX$15.48

127.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 €2.08

$3.21 MX$54.4

-24.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 €2.20

$7.07 MX$120

-63.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.68 MX$28.46

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.34

$2.15 MX$36.50

-27.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.77 MX$30.11

14.69%

Eggs

$3.66 €3.15

$2.82 MX$47.78

29.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.63 €9.16

$9.20 MX$156

15.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 €7.64

$9.23 MX$157

-4.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.47 €9.89

$12.64 MX$214

-9.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.95 MX$50.1

-30.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.58 MX$26.80

31.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 €2.36

$2.22 MX$37.72

22.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.38

$2.36 MX$40.11

16.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.99 MX$33.82

-32.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.98 MX$33.60

-10.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.24 MX$21.05

42.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.21 MX$20.56

-29.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.83

$4.60 MX$78.1

47.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.42 €2.95

$10.52 MX$179

-67.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.69 MX$28.71

9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.77 MX$47.09

-36.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 €0.99

$0.60 MX$10.23

91.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 €3.47

$5.24 MX$88.9

-23.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 €0.37

$3.65 MX$61.9

-88.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.21 €12.25

$5.78 MX$98.2

145.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.54 MX$26.11

14.29%

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

$27.2K €23.4K

$22.8K MX$387.0K

19.18%

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

$23.1K €19.9K

$25.8K MX$438.1K

-10.39%

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

$236 €204

$90.7 MX$1,539

160.62%

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

$20.11 €17.34

$25.19 MX$428

-20.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.89 €18.86

$31.75 MX$539

-31.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 €36.49

$68.8 MX$1,168

-38.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 €14.96

$29.37 MX$498

-40.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.46 €8.15

$4.86 MX$82.5

94.65%

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

$379 €326

$226 MX$3,830

67.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,500 €6,464

$4,194 MX$71.2K

78.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 €52.5

$47.38 MX$804

28.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.23 €27.78

$43.45 MX$737

-25.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 €70.1

$80.2 MX$1,362

1.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €87.1

$91.4 MX$1,551

10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 €557

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-40.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 €506

$409 MX$6,936

43.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 €928

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-45.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 €641

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-41.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,494 €3,012

$4,046 MX$68.7K

-13.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,887 €2,489

$6,704 MX$113.8K

-56.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$878 €757

$773 MX$13.1K

13.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

11.45

-68.82%

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

Last update for Cadca: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $646 in Cadca versus $1,086 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.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Cadca, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Cadca versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $278 – making Cadca 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

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

Cadca costs about 13% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,212 per month in Cadca and $1,958 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 $1,475 in Cadca and $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $379 per month in Cadca and $226 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 $1,305, than in Cadca at $1,475. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cadca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,305 versus $1,475 in Cadca. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cadca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.