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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,643 in Cambrils versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,374 in Cambrils versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,106 in Cambrils versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cambrils is roughly 27% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambrils is 23% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.19

$11.73 MX$203

50.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.0 €49.06

$41.62 MX$720

37.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 €8.82

$10.64 MX$184

-3.67%

Cappuccino

$2.35 €2.02

$3.52 MX$60.9

-33.24%

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

$2.52 €2.17

$1.51 MX$26.12

66.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.48

$0.97 MX$16.84

76.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.06

$2.95 MX$51.0

20.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.92

$4.45 MX$77.0

-23.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.38 MX$23.93

-10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.89 MX$32.72

-53.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.64 MX$28.32

-12.20%

Eggs

$2.63 €2.27

$2.51 MX$43.34

4.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.35 €12.34

$8.34 MX$144

72.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 €7.88

$8.34 MX$144

9.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 €14.88

$10.73 MX$186

61.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 €2.19

$2.60 MX$45.04

-1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.46 MX$25.20

36.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.17

$1.90 MX$32.87

32.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.08 MX$35.91

43.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.78 MX$30.71

-1.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$2.19 MX$37.80

-28.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.04 MX$17.99

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$1.08 MX$18.62

-35.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 €5.43

$4.08 MX$70.6

54.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 €4.05

$10.32 MX$178

-54.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.71 MX$29.61

-29.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.58 MX$44.54

-21.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.51 MX$8.81

235.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.06 €29.30

$26.46 MX$458

28.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 €2.03

$3.26 MX$56.4

-27.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.88

$2.49 MX$43.09

-59.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.61 €19.45

$3.25 MX$56.2

595.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.31 MX$22.61

33.59%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

23.85%

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

$30.6K €26.3K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

30.58%

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

$117 €101

$82.9 MX$1,433

41.17%

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

$20.40 €17.55

$22.22 MX$384

-8.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.52 €32.28

$29.34 MX$507

27.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 €44.65

$51.6 MX$893

0.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.92 €12.84

$18.32 MX$317

-18.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 €8.20

$5.07 MX$87.6

87.97%

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

$333 €286

$201 MX$3,473

65.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,869 €5,909

$5,212 MX$90.1K

31.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 €64.6

$36.92 MX$639

103.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 €30.01

$39.79 MX$688

-12.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 €66.9

$78.5 MX$1,357

-0.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 €86.0

$87.1 MX$1,506

14.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 €925

$973 MX$16.8K

10.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 €587

$468 MX$8,090

45.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 €1,132

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-19.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 €855

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-18.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,390 €2,916

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-14.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,346 €2,018

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-63.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,095 €1,803

$664 MX$11.5K

215.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

11.42

-67.16%

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

Last update for Cambrils: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,076 in Cambrils and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambrils pays 216% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $57.0 in Cambrils vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Cambrils and Playa del Carmen differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,643 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cambrils pays 216% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,076 in Cambrils versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,643 per month in Cambrils versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 29% less than in Cambrils. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,643 in Cambrils, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cambrils. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cambrils and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Cambrils. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.