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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Carrefour versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,698 in Carrefour versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,589 in Carrefour versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Carrefour is roughly 40% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carrefour is 31% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.13 HTG 1,973

$11.71 MX$198

29.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.3 HTG 11.9K

$46.59 MX$787

95.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 HTG 932

$11.65 MX$197

-38.63%

Cappuccino

$1.64 HTG 214

$4.09 MX$69.2

-59.90%

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

$1.56 HTG 204

$1.37 MX$23.23

13.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 HTG 199

$0.83 MX$14.09

84.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 HTG 666

$3.35 MX$56.7

52.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 HTG 939

$6.91 MX$117

4.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 HTG 194

$1.73 MX$29.19

-13.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 HTG 296

$2.26 MX$38.20

0.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 HTG 389

$1.77 MX$29.90

68.93%

Eggs

$2.74 HTG 357

$2.73 MX$46.18

0.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 HTG 1,016

$9.18 MX$155

-15.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 HTG 777

$8.92 MX$151

-33.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 HTG 1,564

$12.60 MX$213

-4.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 HTG 247

$3.02 MX$51.1

-37.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 HTG 323

$1.57 MX$26.54

57.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 HTG 116

$2.13 MX$35.92

-58.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 HTG 295

$2.26 MX$38.27

Potato (1kg)

$6.09 HTG 794

$2.00 MX$33.87

204.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 HTG 133

$2.06 MX$34.89

-50.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 HTG 85.9

$1.18 MX$19.94

-44.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 HTG 128

$1.20 MX$20.35

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 HTG 519

$4.63 MX$78.3

-14.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.59 HTG 1,511

$10.69 MX$181

8.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 HTG 116

$1.62 MX$27.37

-45.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 HTG 205

$2.88 MX$48.69

-45.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 HTG 27.99

$0.57 MX$9.69

-63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.19 HTG 2,632

$29.83 MX$504

-32.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 HTG 51.0

$5.45 MX$92.1

-92.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 HTG 53.8

$3.70 MX$62.6

-88.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.04 HTG 2,613

$5.98 MX$101

235.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 HTG 158

$1.55 MX$26.25

-21.94%

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

$40.2K HTG 5.2M

$22.3K MX$377.3K

80.07%

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

$45.3K HTG 5.9M

$25.9K MX$438.5K

74.75%

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

$101 HTG 13.2K

$89.1 MX$1,506

13.16%

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

$50.6 HTG 6,598

$25.04 MX$423

102.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$164 HTG 21.4K

$31.50 MX$532

421.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.2 HTG 9,156

$67.8 MX$1,145

3.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 HTG 2,627

$28.92 MX$489

-30.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 HTG 1,325

$5.05 MX$85.3

101.19%

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

$101 HTG 13.2K

$225 MX$3,802

-55.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,994 HTG 911.9K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

65.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.8 HTG 10.4K

$47.44 MX$802

68.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.3 HTG 9,686

$44.98 MX$760

65.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 HTG 15.8K

$82.0 MX$1,386

48.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 HTG 19.8K

$92.1 MX$1,556

65.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$897 HTG 116.9K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-16.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 HTG 95.4K

$405 MX$6,850

80.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 HTG 168.6K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-33.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 HTG 137.5K

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-18.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$759 HTG 98.9K

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-81.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$611 HTG 79.7K

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-90.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,400 HTG 182.5K

$749 MX$12.7K

86.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

31.00%

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

Last update for Carrefour: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $897 in Carrefour and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 87% 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: $91.0 in Carrefour vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $277, with Carrefour cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Carrefour and Playa del Carmen differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,806 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Carrefour, 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: $897 in Carrefour versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $101 in Carrefour versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Carrefour pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,806 in Carrefour, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Carrefour. 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.