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: $1,828 in Carrefour versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,675 in Carrefour versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,523 in Carrefour versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Carrefour is roughly 45% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carrefour is 37% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.81 HTG 1,928

$11.99 MX$210

23.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 HTG 11.6K

$41.78 MX$733

113.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 HTG 933

$10.75 MX$189

-33.30%

Cappuccino

$1.63 HTG 213

$3.50 MX$61.3

-53.43%

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

$1.57 HTG 204

$1.45 MX$25.41

8.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 HTG 194

$0.88 MX$15.52

69.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 HTG 657

$2.95 MX$51.7

71.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 HTG 921

$4.51 MX$79.1

56.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 HTG 195

$1.43 MX$25.12

4.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 HTG 306

$1.84 MX$32.23

27.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 HTG 409

$1.57 MX$27.51

100.00%

Eggs

$2.73 HTG 355

$2.51 MX$44.06

8.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 HTG 1,014

$8.28 MX$145

-5.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.97 HTG 777

$8.43 MX$148

-29.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.71 HTG 1,524

$10.68 MX$187

9.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 HTG 242

$2.61 MX$45.76

-28.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 HTG 321

$1.44 MX$25.22

71.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 HTG 122

$1.96 MX$34.41

-52.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 HTG 307

$2.09 MX$36.74

12.92%

Potato (1kg)

$6.22 HTG 810

$1.85 MX$32.47

236.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 HTG 127

$2.17 MX$38.02

-55.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 HTG 84.1

$1.03 MX$18.09

-36.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 HTG 133

$1.07 MX$18.84

-4.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 HTG 524

$4.10 MX$72.0

-1.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.63 HTG 1,514

$10.17 MX$178

14.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 HTG 113

$1.68 MX$29.38

-48.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 HTG 196

$2.53 MX$44.31

-40.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 HTG 27.59

$0.51 MX$8.93

-58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.74 HTG 2,570

$26.04 MX$457

-24.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.36 HTG 47.08

$3.23 MX$56.7

-88.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 HTG 54.3

$2.41 MX$42.19

-82.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.68 HTG 2,562

$3.23 MX$56.6

509.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 HTG 161

$1.32 MX$23.17

-6.82%

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

$40.7K HTG 5.3M

$29.7K MX$520.9K

37.07%

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

$45.0K HTG 5.9M

$23.7K MX$415.0K

90.08%

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

$99.5 HTG 13.0K

$82.0 MX$1,439

21.38%

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

$49.62 HTG 6,461

$22.95 MX$403

116.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$167 HTG 21.7K

$30.11 MX$528

453.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.3 HTG 9,284

$52.0 MX$912

37.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.17 HTG 2,626

$18.53 MX$325

8.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 HTG 1,323

$4.98 MX$87.3

104.02%

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

$98.4 HTG 12.8K

$197 MX$3,463

-50.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,896 HTG 897.9K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

29.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.9 HTG 10.4K

$35.60 MX$624

124.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.8 HTG 9,873

$40.33 MX$707

88.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 HTG 15.6K

$78.8 MX$1,381

52.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 HTG 19.4K

$88.9 MX$1,560

67.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 HTG 113.0K

$947 MX$16.6K

-8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 HTG 93.0K

$474 MX$8,314

50.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 HTG 168.7K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-21.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 HTG 141.5K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-10.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$775 HTG 100.9K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-80.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$610 HTG 79.4K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-90.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,409 HTG 183.5K

$654 MX$11.5K

115.50%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $868 in Carrefour and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 116% 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: $89.0 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 45% in total monthly costs ($1,828 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 116% 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: $868 in Carrefour versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $98.4 in Carrefour versus $197 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,828 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 45% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.