Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayo Coco and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayo Coco and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,205 in Cayo Coco versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,658 in Cayo Coco versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,110 in Cayo Coco versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cayo Coco costs roughly 4% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cayo Coco 9% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 CUP 116

$11.72 MX$203

-58.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.73 CUP 353

$41.89 MX$725

-64.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 CUP 170

$10.51 MX$182

-32.73%

Cappuccino

$1.02 CUP 24.39

$3.59 MX$62.0

-71.59%

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

$2.05 CUP 49.17

$1.51 MX$26.10

35.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.67

$0.92 MX$15.83

7.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 CUP 48.78

$2.96 MX$51.2

-31.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 CUP 70.8

$4.41 MX$76.3

-33.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.01 CUP 72.3

$1.40 MX$24.16

115.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 CUP 23.30

$1.88 MX$32.60

-48.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 CUP 48.32

$1.56 MX$26.97

28.85%

Eggs

$3.50 CUP 83.9

$2.61 MX$45.14

34.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.06 CUP 145

$8.32 MX$144

-27.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 CUP 117

$8.35 MX$145

-41.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 CUP 244

$10.86 MX$188

-6.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 CUP 122

$2.71 MX$46.93

88.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.46

$1.51 MX$26.04

-32.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.31

$1.87 MX$32.41

-48.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.38

$2.19 MX$37.89

-55.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.35

$1.86 MX$32.14

-47.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CUP 71.5

$2.23 MX$38.59

33.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.59

$1.07 MX$18.48

-4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 CUP 24.64

$1.09 MX$18.79

-5.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 CUP 69.9

$4.19 MX$72.4

-30.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.97 CUP 239

$10.43 MX$180

-4.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CUP 46.80

$1.66 MX$28.68

17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CUP 49.16

$2.61 MX$45.19

-21.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 CUP 474

$26.16 MX$453

-24.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 CUP 24.67

$3.08 MX$53.3

-66.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 CUP 24.42

$2.40 MX$41.61

-57.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.03 CUP 481

$3.13 MX$54.1

539.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 CUP 23.32

$1.31 MX$22.69

-25.95%

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

$70.6K CUP 1.7M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

136.90%

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

$81.1K CUP 1.9M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

247.57%

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

$40.57 CUP 974

$81.3 MX$1,406

-50.09%

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

$40.77 CUP 978

$22.56 MX$390

80.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$219 CUP 5,267

$30.05 MX$520

630.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.94 CUP 959

$52.9 MX$915

-24.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.89 CUP 237

$18.39 MX$318

-46.22%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.54

$4.92 MX$85.1

-80.08%

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

$91.1 CUP 2,187

$201 MX$3,474

-54.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K CUP 357.8K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

188.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.55 CUP 949

$35.92 MX$622

10.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.45 CUP 731

$40.13 MX$694

-24.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 CUP 1,799

$79.7 MX$1,379

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 CUP 1,956

$86.5 MX$1,496

-5.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 CUP 9,437

$978 MX$16.9K

-59.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 CUP 10.3K

$470 MX$8,140

-8.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 CUP 25.2K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-36.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 CUP 14.8K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-48.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$304 CUP 7,297

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-92.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$348 CUP 8,351

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-94.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$20.02 CUP 481

$677 MX$11.7K

-97.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-12.43%

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

Last update for Cayo Coco: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Cayo Coco and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3280% 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: $15.00 in Cayo Coco vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $252 per month, with Cayo Coco cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cayo Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 3280% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $393 in Cayo Coco versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cayo Coco runs roughly 33% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $91.1 in Cayo Coco versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,205 in Cayo Coco versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cayo Coco but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cayo Coco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cayo Coco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,205 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cayo Coco hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.