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: $2,552 in Cavan versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,894 in Cavan versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,237 in Cavan versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cavan is roughly 102% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cavan is 87% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 €14.96

$11.60 MX$199

48.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €79.1

$47.11 MX$808

93.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.25 €14.95

$11.88 MX$204

45.20%

Cappuccino

$3.59 €3.11

$3.98 MX$68.2

-9.80%

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

$3.52 €3.05

$1.43 MX$24.46

146.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.82 MX$14.14

152.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 €5.31

$3.19 MX$54.7

91.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 €6.16

$6.79 MX$116

4.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.68 MX$28.72

-23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.05

$2.20 MX$37.67

7.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.71 MX$29.29

17.54%

Eggs

$4.59 €3.98

$2.74 MX$46.99

67.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 €11.88

$9.58 MX$164

43.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.01 €13.87

$9.01 MX$154

77.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.92 €10.33

$12.81 MX$220

-6.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.64 €4.89

$2.89 MX$49.52

95.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 €2.54

$1.50 MX$25.67

95.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.77 €5.86

$2.15 MX$36.83

214.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 €4.28

$2.26 MX$38.74

118.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 €2.53

$1.98 MX$33.96

47.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.99 MX$34.11

-42.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.23 MX$21.16

5.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.20 MX$20.52

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.35 €15.90

$4.55 MX$78.0

303.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 €12.05

$10.37 MX$178

34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.70 €4.08

$1.62 MX$27.76

190.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.89

$2.88 MX$49.39

95.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$322 €279

$28.80 MX$494

1019.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 €5.04

$5.39 MX$92.4

7.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$63.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 €10.14

$5.77 MX$98.9

102.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.86

$1.54 MX$26.34

38.96%

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

$38.7K €33.5K

$22.5K MX$386.6K

71.64%

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

$38.5K €33.3K

$26.1K MX$446.7K

47.56%

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

$244 €211

$91.4 MX$1,567

166.58%

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

$23.23 €20.13

$25.20 MX$432

-7.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.12 €42.57

$31.24 MX$536

57.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$114 €98.9

$67.2 MX$1,152

69.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.46 €29.87

$29.11 MX$499

18.38%

Cinema Ticket

$23.42 €20.29

$4.86 MX$83.4

381.89%

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

$224 MX$3,834

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.9 €81.4

$47.10 MX$808

99.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.86 €25.01

$44.29 MX$759

-34.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 €79.1

$80.1 MX$1,373

13.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.04 €30.36

$92.7 MX$1,589

-62.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 €1,052

$1,063 MX$18.2K

14.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 €813

$390 MX$6,690

140.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 €1,905

$2,149 MX$36.8K

2.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 €1,466

$1,272 MX$21.8K

33.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,042 €2,636

$758 MX$13.0K

301.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

11.45

-64.63%

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

Last update for Cavan: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Cavan and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cavan pays 301% 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: $91.0 in Cavan vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $276 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 102% in total monthly costs ($2,552 vs $1,266 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 301% 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: $1,214 in Cavan versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Cavan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,552 per month in Cavan versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,552 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 102% less than in Cavan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.