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: $2,500 in Cavan versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,798 in Cavan versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,095 in Cavan versus $3,084 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cavan is roughly 93% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cavan is 88% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.11

$11.73 MX$202

49.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.6 €78.9

$41.78 MX$719

119.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.28 €14.88

$10.41 MX$179

65.99%

Cappuccino

$2.94 €2.54

$3.61 MX$62.1

-18.56%

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

$3.38 €2.91

$1.46 MX$25.06

131.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.97 MX$16.70

113.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 €5.36

$2.92 MX$50.3

113.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 €6.05

$4.62 MX$79.5

51.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.43 MX$24.59

-8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.90 MX$32.70

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.57 MX$26.95

23.57%

Eggs

$5.68 €4.89

$2.64 MX$45.34

115.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 €7.09

$8.44 MX$145

-2.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.14 €13.90

$8.58 MX$148

88.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 €10.43

$11.00 MX$189

10.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 €4.93

$2.70 MX$46.51

112.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 €2.42

$1.51 MX$25.92

86.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.00 €6.03

$1.91 MX$32.93

266.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 €4.19

$2.17 MX$37.37

123.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 €2.55

$1.87 MX$32.25

58.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.01

$2.23 MX$38.43

-47.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.08 MX$18.60

14.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.07 MX$18.47

5.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.69 €16.09

$4.16 MX$71.6

349.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 €11.91

$10.29 MX$177

34.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.90

$1.68 MX$28.95

169.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$2.53 MX$43.59

127.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 €2.10

$0.55 MX$9.53

343.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$316 €272

$26.29 MX$452

1100.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 €4.96

$3.20 MX$55.0

80.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.46 MX$42.37

-21.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.42 €9.83

$3.20 MX$55.0

256.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.32 MX$22.72

51.52%

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

$38.4K €33.0K

$30.2K MX$518.8K

27.26%

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

$38.5K €33.1K

$23.4K MX$402.5K

64.53%

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

$207 €178

$81.4 MX$1,400

153.98%

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

$23.41 €20.16

$22.41 MX$386

4.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.31 €28.68

$29.97 MX$516

11.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 €76.6

$51.6 MX$887

72.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.40 €30.48

$18.39 MX$316

92.50%

Cinema Ticket

$23.09 €19.89

$5.16 MX$88.9

347.48%

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

$1,049 €903

$202 MX$3,471

419.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,842 €6,753

$5,311 MX$91.4K

47.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.4 €79.6

$35.61 MX$613

159.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.47 €24.52

$40.37 MX$695

-29.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 €67.4

$78.6 MX$1,353

-0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.02 €30.16

$86.9 MX$1,495

-59.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 €1,011

$950 MX$16.3K

23.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$921 €793

$478 MX$8,227

92.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 €1,859

$1,621 MX$27.9K

33.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,423

$1,223 MX$21.0K

35.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,995 €2,579

$673 MX$11.6K

345.13%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,174 in Cavan and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cavan pays 345% 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 $398 vs $254 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 93% in total monthly costs ($2,500 vs $1,294 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cavan pays 345% 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: $1,174 in Cavan versus $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% 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 $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,500 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 93% less than in Cavan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.