Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castel and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,393 in Castel, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Castel outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Castel

🇬🇬 Guernsey

$2,393

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Castel and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Castel and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,393 per month in Castel vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Castel $2,393
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $3,776 per month in Castel vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Castel $3,776
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $5,160 per month in Castel vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Castel $5,160
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Castel costs about 98% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Castel sits 77% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$39.40 GGP 29.59

$10.76 MX$199

266.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 GGP 59.1

$43.03 MX$795

82.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

Cappuccino

$4.83 GGP 3.62

$3.87 MX$71.4

24.81%

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

$3.24 GGP 2.44

$1.37 MX$25.29

136.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 GGP 2.92

$0.84 MX$15.44

363.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.19 GGP 3.15

$3.10 MX$57.3

35.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 GGP 4.87

$5.07 MX$93.6

27.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 GGP 1.52

$1.44 MX$26.55

40.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 GGP 1.68

$1.47 MX$27.08

52.38%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

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

$26.89 GGP 20.19

$23.99 MX$443

12.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 GGP 49.80

$29.02 MX$536

128.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

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

$204 MX$3,763

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 GGP 1,509

$1,008 MX$18.6K

99.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 GGP 1,385

$374 MX$6,911

392.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,929 GGP 2,950

$1,708 MX$31.6K

129.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,668 GGP 2,755

$1,106 MX$20.4K

231.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Castel: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Castel

–

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Groceries & Markets

Castel

–

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Eating Out

Castel

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castel

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Castel

–

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Castel

–

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Getting Around

Castel

–

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,009 in Castel versus $1,008 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Castel versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $20.00 in Castel vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Castel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇬 Castel

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:16 11:16 PM

17:16 5:16 PM

6 h behind Castel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Guernsey Pound GGP £

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GGP = 1.33 USD

1 GGP = 1.18 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GGP – Guernsey Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇬 Guernsey Pound (£)

Guernsey Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.751 GGP (1 GGP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.844 GGP (1 GGP = 1.18 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to GGP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Castel Playa del Carmen 7,890 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Castel
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Yes – Castel is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,589 per month in Castel and $1,816 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 1179% cheaper in Castel – 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 $79.0 in Castel 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 $1,210, than in Castel at $2,393. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Castel it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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