Cost of Living Comparison Between Castello de la Plana and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Castello de la Plana and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,483 per month in Castello de la Plana vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,203 per month in Castello de la Plana vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,922 per month in Castello de la Plana vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Castello de la Plana costs about 14% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Castello de la Plana sits 11% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 €12.84

$11.73 MX$203

27.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 €48.84

$41.62 MX$720

36.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 €6.85

$10.64 MX$184

-25.19%

Cappuccino

$2.50 €2.15

$3.52 MX$60.9

-28.98%

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

$2.37 €2.04

$1.51 MX$26.12

56.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.97 MX$16.84

78.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 €2.52

$2.95 MX$51.0

-0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.90

$4.45 MX$77.0

-24.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.38 MX$23.93

-18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.89 MX$32.72

13.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.64 MX$28.32

20.73%

Eggs

$3.09 €2.65

$2.51 MX$43.34

23.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.94 €12.85

$8.34 MX$144

79.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.40 €7.23

$8.34 MX$144

0.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 €13.64

$10.73 MX$186

47.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 €2.21

$2.60 MX$45.04

-1.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.46 MX$25.20

17.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.90 MX$32.87

-10.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.08 MX$35.91

20.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.78 MX$30.71

1.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.19 MX$37.80

-18.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.04 MX$17.99

40.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.56

$1.08 MX$18.62

-39.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.05

$4.08 MX$70.6

72.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.31 €4.57

$10.32 MX$178

-48.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.71 MX$29.61

-38.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$2.58 MX$44.54

-6.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.22

$0.51 MX$8.81

176.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.38 €14.95

$26.46 MX$458

-34.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 €3.79

$3.26 MX$56.4

34.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.88

$2.49 MX$43.09

-59.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.31 €13.17

$3.25 MX$56.2

371.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.31 MX$22.61

38.17%

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

$38.1K €32.8K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

25.76%

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

$32.3K €27.8K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

37.92%

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

$137 €118

$82.9 MX$1,433

65.62%

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

$19.84 €17.07

$22.22 MX$384

-10.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.23 €24.29

$29.34 MX$507

-3.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.23 €39.77

$51.6 MX$893

-10.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.08 €12.97

$18.32 MX$317

-17.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.31 €7.15

$5.07 MX$87.6

63.91%

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

$581 €500

$201 MX$3,473

189.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,198 €7,052

$5,212 MX$90.1K

57.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 €55.5

$36.92 MX$639

74.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.92 €18.86

$39.79 MX$688

-44.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.8

$78.5 MX$1,357

34.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$87.1 MX$1,506

37.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 €619

$973 MX$16.8K

-25.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 €531

$468 MX$8,090

31.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €862

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-38.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 €668

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-36.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,896 €1,631

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-51.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,439 €1,238

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-77.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,857 €1,597

$664 MX$11.5K

179.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

11.42

-71.98%

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

Last update for Castello de la Plana: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $720 in Castello de la Plana versus $973 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.

Salaries run about 180% higher in Castello de la Plana, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Castello de la Plana versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Castello de la Plana vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,483 in Castello de la Plana, $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 14% apart. Castello de la Plana costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,225 per month in Castello de la Plana and $1,945 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.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $581 per month in Castello de la Plana and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Castello de la Plana at $1,483. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Castello de la Plana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,297 in Playa del Carmen to $1,483 in Castello de la Plana. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Castello de la Plana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.