Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caye Caulker and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,895 in Caye Caulker, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Caye Caulker
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Caye Caulker Living Index
59

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

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Caye Caulker

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,895

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Caye Caulker 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 Caye Caulker and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,895 per month in Caye Caulker vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Caye Caulker $1,895
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,731 per month in Caye Caulker vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Caye Caulker $2,731
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,567 per month in Caye Caulker vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Caye Caulker $3,567
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Caye Caulker costs about 57% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Caye Caulker sits 40% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 BZD 16.69

$10.86 MX$201

-23.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.40 BZD 64.8

$44.21 MX$817

-26.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 BZD 14.63

$11.76 MX$217

-37.84%

Cappuccino

$4.07 BZD 8.13

$3.68 MX$68.0

10.60%

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

$1.46 BZD 2.93

$1.34 MX$24.79

8.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BZD 3.41

$0.82 MX$15.24

107.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 BZD 5.98

$3.06 MX$56.6

-2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BZD 8.77

$4.94 MX$91.2

-11.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.96 BZD 5.92

$1.47 MX$27.17

101.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 BZD 3.57

$2.22 MX$40.95

-19.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 BZD 8.74

$1.48 MX$27.32

195.27%

Eggs

$4.09 BZD 8.18

$2.49 MX$45.99

64.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 BZD 22.00

$7.52 MX$139

46.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 BZD 15.39

$7.96 MX$147

-3.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 BZD 26.68

$12.57 MX$232

6.13%

Apples (1kg)

$8.28 BZD 16.57

$2.78 MX$51.3

197.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 BZD 2.16

$1.43 MX$26.37

-24.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 BZD 2.79

$2.62 MX$48.37

-46.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 BZD 5.80

$2.14 MX$39.49

35.51%

Potato (1kg)

$5.41 BZD 10.82

$2.02 MX$37.38

167.82%

Onion (1kg)

$4.51 BZD 9.02

$1.99 MX$36.74

126.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.21 BZD 6.42

$1.14 MX$21.01

181.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 BZD 3.59

$1.20 MX$22.18

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 BZD 8.88

$4.26 MX$78.7

4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.29 BZD 44.58

$10.02 MX$185

122.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 BZD 4.50

$1.54 MX$28.41

46.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 BZD 4.94

$2.66 MX$49.17

-7.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.11 BZD 10.23

$0.53 MX$9.73

864.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.36 BZD 44.73

$27.51 MX$508

-18.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 BZD 6.94

$4.90 MX$90.6

-29.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 BZD 6.15

$3.43 MX$63.5

-10.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 BZD 9.71

$5.38 MX$99.4

-9.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.09 BZD 6.17

$1.45 MX$26.76

113.10%

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

$10.6K BZD 21.1K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

-50.10%

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

$21.2K BZD 42.4K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

-8.00%

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

$204 BZD 407

$85.4 MX$1,577

138.48%

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

$35.62 BZD 71.3

$23.46 MX$434

51.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.4 BZD 151

$28.43 MX$525

165.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.93 BZD 69.9

$62.2 MX$1,149

-43.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.74 BZD 27.47

$28.68 MX$530

-52.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 BZD 23.78

$5.10 MX$94.3

133.14%

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 BZD 150

$44.39 MX$820

68.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.6 BZD 121

$41.35 MX$764

46.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 BZD 305

$72.7 MX$1,344

109.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.27 BZD 98.6

$89.6 MX$1,656

-45.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 BZD 2,037

$979 MX$18.1K

3.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 BZD 1,507

$373 MX$6,887

102.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 BZD 1,552

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-53.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 BZD 2,489

$1,095 MX$20.2K

13.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,001 BZD 4,004

$738 MX$13.6K

171.39%

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 Caye Caulker: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caye Caulker

$754 39.8%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 50.5% $381

Groceries & Markets

Caye Caulker

$381 20.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 32.2% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caye Caulker

$315 16.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 56.4% $177

Eating Out

Caye Caulker

$174 9.2%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 15.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Caye Caulker

$152 8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 26.4% $40

Getting Around

Caye Caulker

$62 3.3%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 16.1% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Caye Caulker

$59 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 23.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Caye Caulker versus $979 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 171% higher in Caye Caulker, 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 $32.00 in Caye Caulker versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $381 in Caye Caulker vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇿 Caye Caulker

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:41 5:41 AM

06:41 6:41 AM

1 h ahead of Caye Caulker

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,729

149,923

💱 Currency

Belize Dollar BZD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BZD – Belize Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇿 Belize Dollar ($)

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.25 BZD (1 BZD = 0.445 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Caye Caulker Playa del Carmen 340 km

From you

Caye Caulker
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

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

Caye Caulker costs about 57% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,843 per month in Caye Caulker and $1,806 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,895 in Caye Caulker and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 57%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Caye Caulker and $44.00 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 $1,204, than in Caye Caulker at $1,895. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caye Caulker it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $1,895 in Caye Caulker. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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