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: $2,274 in Cayenne versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in Cayenne versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,107 in Cayenne versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cayenne is roughly 80% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cayenne is 71% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.51 €9.10

$11.72 MX$203

-10.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 €102

$41.89 MX$725

180.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 €8.64

$10.51 MX$182

-5.14%

Cappuccino

$3.31 €2.86

$3.59 MX$62.0

-7.80%

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

$3.20 €2.77

$1.51 MX$26.10

111.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.17

$0.92 MX$15.83

172.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 €3.06

$2.96 MX$51.2

19.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.12

$4.41 MX$76.3

7.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.18 €2.75

$1.40 MX$24.16

127.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.02 €3.49

$1.88 MX$32.60

113.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.64

$1.56 MX$26.97

95.51%

Eggs

$8.54 €7.40

$2.61 MX$45.14

227.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.24 €25.32

$8.32 MX$144

251.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.77 €14.53

$8.35 MX$145

100.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.98 €25.96

$10.86 MX$188

176.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 €5.11

$2.71 MX$46.93

117.71%

Banana (1kg)

$4.80 €4.16

$1.51 MX$26.04

217.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.10 €4.42

$1.87 MX$32.41

172.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.93 €8.60

$2.19 MX$37.89

353.42%

Potato (1kg)

$4.85 €4.20

$1.86 MX$32.14

160.75%

Onion (1kg)

$5.70 €4.94

$2.23 MX$38.59

155.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.03 €3.49

$1.07 MX$18.48

276.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.09 MX$18.79

56.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.10 €7.88

$4.19 MX$72.4

117.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 €6.77

$10.43 MX$180

-25.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.41

$1.66 MX$28.68

67.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.04

$2.61 MX$45.19

-9.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.04

$0.54 MX$9.37

335.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.15 €30.44

$26.16 MX$453

34.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.09

$3.08 MX$53.3

90.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.85 €3.33

$2.40 MX$41.61

60.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 €7.00

$3.13 MX$54.1

158.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.90

$1.31 MX$22.69

67.18%

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

$34.2K €29.6K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

14.64%

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

$46.0K €39.8K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

97.20%

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

$198 €171

$81.3 MX$1,406

143.09%

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

$46.73 €40.47

$22.56 MX$390

107.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.8 €62.1

$30.05 MX$520

138.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.00 €34.64

$52.9 MX$915

-24.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.90 €25.03

$18.39 MX$318

57.15%

Cinema Ticket

$12.26 €10.62

$4.92 MX$85.1

149.19%

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

$699 €606

$201 MX$3,474

248.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$349 €302

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-93.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 €70.6

$35.92 MX$622

126.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.06 €39.89

$40.13 MX$694

14.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €94.7

$79.7 MX$1,379

37.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €89.0

$86.5 MX$1,496

18.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 €808

$978 MX$16.9K

-4.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$832 €721

$470 MX$8,140

76.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 €1,447

$1,651 MX$28.6K

1.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 €1,428

$1,203 MX$20.8K

37.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,171 €2,746

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-19.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,469 €3,004

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-47.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,300 €1,992

$677 MX$11.7K

239.98%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $933 in Cayenne and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cayenne pays 240% 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: $117 in Cayenne vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $605 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 240% higher in Cayenne, 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: $933 in Cayenne versus $978 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 $42.00 versus $117 in Cayenne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,274 per month in Cayenne versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,274 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 80% less than in Cayenne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.