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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,499 in Cavan versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,828 in Cavan versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,156 in Cavan versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cavan is roughly 98% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cavan is 88% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 €14.97

$11.72 MX$203

47.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.7 €79.5

$41.89 MX$726

118.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.64 €15.30

$10.51 MX$182

67.84%

Cappuccino

$3.02 €2.62

$3.59 MX$62.1

-15.88%

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

$3.37 €2.92

$1.51 MX$26.14

123.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.80

$0.92 MX$15.86

126.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 €5.27

$2.96 MX$51.2

105.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 €6.14

$4.41 MX$76.4

60.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.40 MX$24.19

-4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.07

$1.88 MX$32.65

27.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.56 MX$27.01

28.85%

Eggs

$5.51 €4.78

$2.61 MX$45.21

111.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 €6.84

$8.32 MX$144

-5.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.25 €14.10

$8.35 MX$145

94.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.39 €10.75

$10.86 MX$188

14.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.67 €4.92

$2.71 MX$47.00

109.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 €2.54

$1.51 MX$26.08

94.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.80 €5.90

$1.87 MX$32.46

263.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 €4.39

$2.19 MX$37.95

131.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.48

$1.86 MX$32.19

53.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.03

$2.23 MX$38.65

-47.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.07 MX$18.51

16.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.09 MX$18.82

4.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.36 €15.93

$4.19 MX$72.6

338.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.91 €12.07

$10.43 MX$181

33.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.13

$1.66 MX$28.72

186.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.90

$2.61 MX$45.26

116.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.05

$0.54 MX$9.39

338.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$320 €278

$26.16 MX$453

1123.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €4.97

$3.08 MX$53.3

86.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.40 MX$41.67

-23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.46 €9.94

$3.13 MX$54.2

266.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.31 MX$22.72

49.62%

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

$38.8K €33.6K

$29.8K MX$516.5K

30.02%

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

$38.6K €33.5K

$23.3K MX$404.1K

65.70%

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

$207 €179

$81.3 MX$1,408

154.55%

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

$23.32 €20.23

$22.56 MX$391

3.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.37 €28.95

$30.05 MX$521

11.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.5 €79.3

$52.9 MX$917

72.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.17 €29.64

$18.39 MX$319

85.81%

Cinema Ticket

$22.77 €19.76

$4.92 MX$85.3

362.80%

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

$1,036 €899

$201 MX$3,480

415.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,766 €6,737

$5,175 MX$89.7K

50.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 €79.2

$35.92 MX$622

154.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.28 €25.40

$40.13 MX$695

-27.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 €67.3

$79.7 MX$1,381

-2.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.40 €29.84

$86.5 MX$1,498

-60.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,049

$978 MX$16.9K

23.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €798

$470 MX$8,153

95.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,118 €1,838

$1,651 MX$28.6K

28.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 €1,467

$1,203 MX$20.9K

40.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,964 €2,571

$677 MX$11.7K

338.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.42

-60.60%

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

Last update for Cavan: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,209 in Cavan and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cavan pays 338% 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: $92.0 in Cavan vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $252 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

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

Cavan and Playa del Carmen differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($2,499 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 338% higher in Cavan, 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: $1,209 in Cavan versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Cavan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $92.0 in Cavan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,499 in Cavan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cavan. 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.

Safety-wise, Cavan and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Cavan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.