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 $1,435 per month in Cadca vs $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,053 per month in Cadca vs $2,130 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,670 per month in Cadca vs $2,999 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cadca costs about 14% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cadca sits 7% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.40 €8.02

$11.67 MX$202

-19.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.96 €24.70

$41.88 MX$726

-30.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 €8.02

$10.40 MX$180

-9.62%

Cappuccino

$2.64 €2.26

$3.61 MX$62.6

-26.87%

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

$2.04 €1.74

$1.47 MX$25.45

38.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.38

$0.91 MX$15.80

78.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 €2.00

$3.03 MX$52.6

-22.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.80

$4.47 MX$77.4

-52.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 €0.89

$1.38 MX$23.83

-23.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 €1.40

$1.84 MX$31.93

-10.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 €2.19

$1.61 MX$27.82

59.63%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.01

$2.57 MX$44.52

37.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 €13.10

$8.49 MX$147

80.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.09 €6.05

$8.49 MX$147

-16.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.07 €6.88

$10.99 MX$190

-26.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 €1.41

$2.73 MX$47.25

-39.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.50 MX$25.92

1.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €1.93

$1.96 MX$33.93

15.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 €4.02

$2.12 MX$36.70

122.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.15

$1.86 MX$32.30

-27.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.43

$2.17 MX$37.67

-23.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.33

$1.07 MX$18.59

45.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.05 MX$18.18

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$4.19 MX$72.6

61.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.65 €3.97

$10.28 MX$178

-54.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.67 MX$28.87

13.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.57

$2.49 MX$43.12

-26.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 €0.96

$0.54 MX$9.37

109.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.23 €24.93

$26.27 MX$455

11.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 €1.16

$3.10 MX$53.8

-56.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 €1.09

$2.46 MX$42.66

-48.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.78 €11.75

$3.24 MX$56.1

325.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.54

$1.26 MX$21.83

43.65%

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

$24.8K €21.2K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

-17.71%

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

$25.0K €21.3K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

6.44%

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

$239 €204

$84.0 MX$1,456

184.36%

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

$28.55 €24.36

$22.21 MX$385

28.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.16 €19.76

$29.65 MX$514

-21.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.11 €35.92

$52.6 MX$912

-20.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.40 €14.84

$18.34 MX$318

-5.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.62 €7.35

$4.95 MX$85.7

74.14%

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

$469 €400

$198 MX$3,438

136.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,300 €6,227

$5,322 MX$92.2K

37.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 €52.6

$35.95 MX$623

71.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.08 €27.37

$40.06 MX$694

-19.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 €69.1

$78.8 MX$1,365

2.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €86.9

$86.5 MX$1,499

17.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 €501

$977 MX$16.9K

-39.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 €413

$471 MX$8,158

2.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 €820

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-39.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 €637

$1,215 MX$21.1K

-38.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,566 €3,042

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-11.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,083 €1,777

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-68.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$893 €762

$714 MX$12.4K

25.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

11.42

-63.57%

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

Last update for Cadca: April 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $588 in Cadca versus $977 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 25% 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 $29 in Cadca versus $42 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $253 in Cadca vs $252 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 14% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,153 per month in Cadca and $1,891 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.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $469 per month in Cadca and $198 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 $1,261, than in Cadca at $1,435. 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 $1,261 versus $1,435 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.