Cost of Living Comparison Between Caleta de Fuste and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Caleta de Fuste and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,605 per month in Caleta de Fuste vs $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,355 per month in Caleta de Fuste vs $2,177 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,106 per month in Caleta de Fuste vs $3,095 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Caleta de Fuste costs about 28% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Caleta de Fuste sits 20% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 €10.54

$11.95 MX$209

0.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 €50.9

$41.94 MX$733

38.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 €9.11

$10.42 MX$182

-0.58%

Cappuccino

$2.28 €2.00

$3.51 MX$61.4

-35.04%

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

$2.12 €1.86

$1.52 MX$26.50

39.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.10

$0.91 MX$15.91

37.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 €2.55

$3.04 MX$53.1

-4.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 €3.72

$4.37 MX$76.4

-3.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.09

$1.42 MX$24.84

-12.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.25

$1.83 MX$32.00

-22.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 €0.72

$1.63 MX$28.57

-49.69%

Eggs

$3.28 €2.88

$2.54 MX$44.38

29.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 €10.54

$8.57 MX$150

39.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.29 €9.05

$8.49 MX$148

21.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 €14.90

$10.80 MX$189

56.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.19

$2.75 MX$48.14

-9.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.88

$1.44 MX$25.10

47.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €2.00

$1.89 MX$32.97

20.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.17 MX$37.93

-18.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 €1.53

$1.78 MX$31.10

-2.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 €2.33

$2.22 MX$38.87

19.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.64

$1.07 MX$18.68

74.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.08 MX$18.87

-15.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 €4.13

$4.15 MX$72.5

13.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 €5.85

$10.45 MX$183

-36.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.74 MX$30.47

-29.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 €3.24

$2.58 MX$45.11

43.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.44

$0.51 MX$8.97

221.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.51 €30.34

$25.94 MX$453

33.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 €3.09

$3.21 MX$56.1

9.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.50 MX$43.73

-17.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.33 €20.51

$3.19 MX$55.7

631.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.30

$1.26 MX$21.96

17.46%

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

$38.3K €33.7K

$29.7K MX$518.8K

29.07%

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

$30.0K €26.4K

$23.7K MX$413.9K

26.68%

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

$79.7 €70.0

$82.0 MX$1,434

-2.86%

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

$20.77 €18.26

$22.73 MX$397

-8.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.17 €26.52

$29.42 MX$514

2.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.12 €42.30

$52.2 MX$912

-7.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.92 €13.12

$18.45 MX$322

-19.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.44 €8.30

$4.93 MX$86.2

91.48%

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

$530 €466

$202 MX$3,526

162.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,361 €5,592

$5,217 MX$91.2K

21.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.9

$35.93 MX$628

187.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 €45.69

$40.33 MX$705

28.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €93.1

$79.9 MX$1,396

32.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €130

$89.3 MX$1,561

65.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 €739

$948 MX$16.6K

-11.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 €619

$465 MX$8,132

51.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 €1,161

$1,630 MX$28.5K

-18.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 €890

$1,193 MX$20.8K

-15.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,348 €2,943

$3,933 MX$68.7K

-14.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 €1,957

$6,428 MX$112.3K

-65.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

11.42

-69.96%

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

Last update for Caleta de Fuste: July 22, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $841 in Caleta de Fuste versus $948 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 $58.0 in Caleta de Fuste versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $252 – making Playa del Carmen 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

Caleta de Fuste vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Caleta de Fuste is pricier by about 28%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,407 per month in Caleta de Fuste and $1,888 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 33% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Caleta de Fuste and $202 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 $1,259, than in Caleta de Fuste at $1,605. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caleta de Fuste it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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