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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,781 per month in Calp vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,596 per month in Calp vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,412 per month in Calp vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Calp costs about 38% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Calp sits 33% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.68 €10.85

$11.94 MX$209

6.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.85 €39.25

$42.75 MX$748

7.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.05

$10.59 MX$185

10.86%

Cappuccino

$2.22 €1.90

$3.62 MX$63.4

-38.67%

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

$1.80 €1.54

$1.47 MX$25.69

22.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.33

$0.94 MX$16.51

65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.04

$3.09 MX$54.1

14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.33

$4.46 MX$78.0

-39.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 €0.74

$1.43 MX$24.94

-39.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.59

$1.88 MX$32.97

-1.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 €1.14

$1.63 MX$28.50

-17.79%

Eggs

$3.07 €2.63

$2.64 MX$46.26

16.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.52 €11.57

$8.21 MX$144

64.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.03 €6.02

$8.29 MX$145

-15.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 €13.76

$11.10 MX$194

44.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €1.93

$2.65 MX$46.40

-14.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 €1.39

$1.50 MX$26.26

8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 €1.22

$1.99 MX$34.79

-28.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.08 MX$36.33

5.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.79 MX$31.29

-37.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 €1.42

$2.18 MX$38.09

-23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.08 MX$18.84

20.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.43

$1.04 MX$18.15

-51.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.03 €5.16

$3.97 MX$69.5

51.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.30 €4.53

$10.20 MX$179

-48.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.73 MX$30.22

-50.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$2.50 MX$43.71

-43.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.52 MX$9.07

226.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.88 €29.01

$26.97 MX$472

25.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 €3.80

$3.14 MX$55.0

41.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 €1.07

$2.40 MX$42.04

-47.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.42 €29.46

$3.09 MX$54.0

1013.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.27 MX$22.28

37.80%

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

$37.7K €32.2K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

21.99%

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

$35.6K €30.5K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

52.90%

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

$107 €91.2

$82.0 MX$1,435

29.91%

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

$11.59 €9.92

$22.45 MX$393

-48.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.26 €20.77

$29.66 MX$519

-18.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.52 €39.82

$51.9 MX$908

-10.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.02 €12.86

$18.67 MX$327

-19.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 €9.97

$4.97 MX$87.0

134.41%

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

$420 €360

$198 MX$3,462

112.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,013 €6,003

$5,273 MX$92.3K

33.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 €43.28

$36.34 MX$636

39.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.74 €28.02

$40.05 MX$701

-18.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 €64.7

$79.9 MX$1,398

-5.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 €63.7

$88.9 MX$1,555

-16.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 €785

$963 MX$16.9K

-4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 €833

$465 MX$8,133

109.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 €1,277

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-6.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 €1,304

$1,209 MX$21.2K

25.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,094 €2,649

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-21.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,871 €3,314

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-39.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,756 €1,503

$720 MX$12.6K

143.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.42

-69.35%

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

Last update for Calp: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $918 in Calp versus $963 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 144% higher in Calp, 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 $46.00 in Calp versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Calp vs $251 in Playa del Carmen – so Calp 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,781 in Calp, $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 38% apart. Calp costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,672 per month in Calp and $1,930 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Calp – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Calp and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,287, than in Calp at $1,781. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Calp 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen to $1,781 in Calp. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Calp makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.