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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,198 in Cayenne versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,666 in Cayenne versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,133 in Cayenne versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cayenne is roughly 73% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cayenne is 64% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 €8.94

$11.87 MX$204

-12.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 €97.8

$42.90 MX$736

164.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 €8.78

$10.65 MX$183

-4.32%

Cappuccino

$3.23 €2.79

$3.45 MX$59.2

-6.38%

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

$3.19 €2.75

$1.50 MX$25.81

112.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.15

$0.95 MX$16.28

162.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.96

$3.03 MX$51.9

13.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.04

$4.61 MX$79.1

1.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 €2.67

$1.38 MX$23.61

124.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.14 €3.56

$1.85 MX$31.70

123.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.63

$1.61 MX$27.65

89.44%

Eggs

$8.79 €7.57

$2.59 MX$44.51

239.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.88 €24.88

$8.26 MX$142

249.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.75 €14.43

$8.37 MX$144

100.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.69 €26.44

$10.66 MX$183

187.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.74 €4.94

$2.63 MX$45.12

118.25%

Banana (1kg)

$4.87 €4.19

$1.49 MX$25.53

226.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.31 €4.58

$1.92 MX$32.94

176.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.91 €8.54

$2.09 MX$35.81

374.16%

Potato (1kg)

$4.79 €4.13

$1.86 MX$31.88

157.53%

Onion (1kg)

$5.96 €5.14

$2.26 MX$38.81

163.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.98 €3.43

$1.06 MX$18.23

275.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.09 MX$18.67

56.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.01 €7.76

$4.15 MX$71.2

117.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 €6.90

$10.39 MX$178

-22.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.46

$1.72 MX$29.59

66.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.61 MX$44.85

-13.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.95

$0.54 MX$9.30

318.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.37 €29.62

$26.94 MX$462

27.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 €5.10

$3.13 MX$53.7

89.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.71 €3.20

$2.51 MX$43.09

47.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 €6.94

$3.15 MX$54.1

155.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.92

$1.27 MX$21.88

74.80%

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

$34.1K €29.4K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

12.41%

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

$46.3K €39.9K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

96.29%

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

$194 €168

$83.0 MX$1,425

134.30%

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

$45.94 €39.58

$22.71 MX$390

102.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.1 €61.3

$29.46 MX$506

141.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €34.64

$51.0 MX$875

-21.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.70 €24.73

$18.33 MX$315

56.57%

Cinema Ticket

$12.39 €10.67

$4.93 MX$84.5

151.32%

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

$700 €603

$197 MX$3,386

254.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$342 €295

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-93.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.9 €68.9

$36.90 MX$633

116.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.08 €40.57

$39.89 MX$685

18.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.3

$80.0 MX$1,373

35.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 €89.9

$89.5 MX$1,536

16.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 €823

$956 MX$16.4K

-0.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 €702

$477 MX$8,189

70.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 €1,434

$1,646 MX$28.3K

1.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,369

$1,225 MX$21.0K

29.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,147 €2,711

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-19.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,624 €3,123

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-43.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,316 €1,996

$667 MX$11.4K

247.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

11.42

-69.09%

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

Last update for Cayenne: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $955 in Cayenne and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cayenne pays 247% 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: $114 in Cayenne vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $608 vs $250 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cayenne pays 247% 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: $955 in Cayenne versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $114 in Cayenne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,198 per month in Cayenne versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,198 in Cayenne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cayenne. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cayenne, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Cayenne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.