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: $1,811 in Carrefour versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,726 in Carrefour versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,642 in Carrefour versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Carrefour is 35% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 HTG 1,926

$11.73 MX$203

25.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 HTG 11.5K

$41.62 MX$720

112.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 HTG 905

$10.64 MX$184

-34.87%

Cappuccino

$1.67 HTG 218

$3.52 MX$60.9

-52.56%

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

$1.53 HTG 199

$1.51 MX$26.12

1.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 HTG 193

$0.97 MX$16.84

52.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 HTG 655

$2.95 MX$51.0

70.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 HTG 916

$4.45 MX$77.0

57.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 HTG 201

$1.38 MX$23.93

11.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 HTG 306

$1.89 MX$32.72

24.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 HTG 406

$1.64 MX$28.32

89.63%

Eggs

$2.71 HTG 354

$2.51 MX$43.34

7.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 HTG 979

$8.34 MX$144

-10.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 HTG 800

$8.34 MX$144

-26.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 HTG 1,566

$10.73 MX$186

11.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 HTG 245

$2.60 MX$45.04

-27.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 HTG 319

$1.46 MX$25.20

67.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 HTG 115

$1.90 MX$32.87

-53.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 HTG 305

$2.08 MX$35.91

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$6.09 HTG 796

$1.78 MX$30.71

242.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 HTG 133

$2.19 MX$37.80

-53.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 HTG 84.4

$1.04 MX$17.99

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 HTG 129

$1.08 MX$18.62

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 HTG 521

$4.08 MX$70.6

-2.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.57 HTG 1,511

$10.32 MX$178

12.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 HTG 116

$1.71 MX$29.61

-47.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 HTG 195

$2.58 MX$44.54

-41.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 HTG 24.83

$0.51 MX$8.81

-62.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.66 HTG 2,568

$26.46 MX$458

-25.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 HTG 51.5

$3.26 MX$56.4

-88.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 HTG 50.5

$2.49 MX$43.09

-84.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.06 HTG 2,620

$3.25 MX$56.2

517.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 HTG 167

$1.31 MX$22.61

-2.29%

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

$40.1K HTG 5.2M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

32.48%

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

$44.4K HTG 5.8M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

89.68%

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

$98.6 HTG 12.9K

$82.9 MX$1,433

18.95%

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

$50.1 HTG 6,540

$22.22 MX$384

125.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$163 HTG 21.3K

$29.34 MX$507

456.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.4 HTG 9,197

$51.6 MX$893

36.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 HTG 2,625

$18.32 MX$317

9.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 HTG 1,298

$5.07 MX$87.6

96.06%

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

$99.8 HTG 13.0K

$201 MX$3,473

-50.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,092 HTG 926.1K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

36.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.0 HTG 10.3K

$36.92 MX$639

114.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.1 HTG 9,939

$39.79 MX$688

91.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 HTG 16.0K

$78.5 MX$1,357

55.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 HTG 19.4K

$87.1 MX$1,506

70.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 HTG 114.4K

$973 MX$16.8K

-9.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 HTG 95.5K

$468 MX$8,090

56.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 HTG 164.6K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-23.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 HTG 141.8K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-11.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$746 HTG 97.5K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-81.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$589 HTG 76.9K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-90.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,397 HTG 182.5K

$664 MX$11.5K

110.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

31.35%

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

Last update for Carrefour: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $876 in Carrefour and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 110% 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: $88.0 in Carrefour vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $256 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

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

Carrefour and Playa del Carmen differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,811 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Carrefour pays 110% 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: $876 in Carrefour versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $99.8 in Carrefour versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Carrefour. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,811 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.