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: $1,227 in Cayo Coco versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,697 in Cayo Coco versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Cayo Coco versus $3,084 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cayo Coco costs roughly 5% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cayo Coco 8% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.11 CUP 123

$11.73 MX$202

-56.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.97 CUP 359

$41.78 MX$719

-64.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 CUP 170

$10.41 MX$179

-31.89%

Cappuccino

$0.98 CUP 23.52

$3.61 MX$62.1

-72.85%

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

$1.98 CUP 47.48

$1.46 MX$25.06

35.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 CUP 24.62

$0.97 MX$16.70

6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 CUP 48.54

$2.92 MX$50.3

-30.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 CUP 70.3

$4.62 MX$79.5

-36.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.07 CUP 73.7

$1.43 MX$24.59

114.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 CUP 23.63

$1.90 MX$32.70

-48.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 CUP 47.44

$1.57 MX$26.95

26.11%

Eggs

$3.54 CUP 85.0

$2.64 MX$45.34

34.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.12 CUP 147

$8.44 MX$145

-27.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 CUP 122

$8.58 MX$148

-40.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.15 CUP 244

$11.00 MX$189

-7.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 CUP 116

$2.70 MX$46.51

79.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.47

$1.51 MX$25.92

-35.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.30

$1.91 MX$32.93

-49.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.57

$2.17 MX$37.37

-54.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 CUP 23.69

$1.87 MX$32.25

-47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 CUP 73.8

$2.23 MX$38.43

37.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.43

$1.08 MX$18.60

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 CUP 24.44

$1.07 MX$18.47

-4.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 CUP 73.4

$4.16 MX$71.6

-26.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 CUP 236

$10.29 MX$177

-4.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 CUP 46.58

$1.68 MX$28.95

15.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 CUP 47.21

$2.53 MX$43.59

-22.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.87 CUP 477

$26.29 MX$452

-24.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 CUP 24.33

$3.20 MX$55.0

-68.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 CUP 24.34

$2.46 MX$42.37

-58.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.33 CUP 488

$3.20 MX$55.0

535.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 CUP 23.71

$1.32 MX$22.72

-25.00%

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

$69.8K CUP 1.7M

$30.2K MX$518.8K

131.47%

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

$81.5K CUP 2.0M

$23.4K MX$402.5K

248.57%

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

$39.66 CUP 952

$81.4 MX$1,400

-51.25%

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

$40.34 CUP 968

$22.41 MX$386

80.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$222 CUP 5,340

$29.97 MX$516

642.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.72 CUP 977

$51.6 MX$887

-21.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 CUP 244

$18.39 MX$316

-44.81%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.44

$5.16 MX$88.9

-81.01%

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

$90.1 CUP 2,163

$202 MX$3,471

-55.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CUP 354.7K

$5,311 MX$91.4K

178.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.80 CUP 979

$35.61 MX$613

14.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.80 CUP 715

$40.37 MX$695

-26.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 CUP 1,808

$78.6 MX$1,353

-4.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 CUP 1,957

$86.9 MX$1,495

-6.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 CUP 9,675

$950 MX$16.3K

-57.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 CUP 10.1K

$478 MX$8,227

-11.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 CUP 25.5K

$1,621 MX$27.9K

-34.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 CUP 14.7K

$1,223 MX$21.0K

-49.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$300 CUP 7,197

$4,009 MX$69.0K

-92.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$354 CUP 8,503

$6,473 MX$111.4K

-94.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$19.96 CUP 479

$673 MX$11.6K

-97.03%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Cayo Coco and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3271% 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 $235 vs $254 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, Playa del Carmen earns 3271% less. 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: $403 in Cayo Coco versus $950 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 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $90.1 in Cayo Coco versus $202 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,227 in Cayo Coco versus $1,294 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 $1,227 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.