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: $1,245 in Cayo Coco versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,697 in Cayo Coco versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,150 in Cayo Coco versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cayo Coco costs roughly 2% 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 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.92 CUP 118

$11.60 MX$200

-57.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.29 CUP 367

$47.11 MX$812

-67.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 CUP 165

$11.88 MX$205

-42.26%

Cappuccino

$0.98 CUP 23.48

$3.98 MX$68.6

-75.38%

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

$2.05 CUP 49.25

$1.43 MX$24.60

43.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 CUP 24.61

$0.82 MX$14.22

25.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 CUP 47.52

$3.19 MX$55.0

-37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CUP 74.0

$6.79 MX$117

-54.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 CUP 74.1

$1.68 MX$28.89

83.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 CUP 23.49

$2.20 MX$37.88

-55.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 CUP 49.18

$1.71 MX$29.45

19.88%

Eggs

$3.62 CUP 86.8

$2.74 MX$47.26

32.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.89 CUP 141

$9.58 MX$165

-38.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 CUP 123

$9.01 MX$155

-43.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.19 CUP 245

$12.81 MX$221

-20.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 CUP 121

$2.89 MX$49.81

74.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 CUP 23.67

$1.50 MX$25.81

-34.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 CUP 24.70

$2.15 MX$37.03

-52.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 CUP 23.66

$2.26 MX$38.96

-56.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.43

$1.98 MX$34.15

-48.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 CUP 70.8

$1.99 MX$34.30

48.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.59

$1.23 MX$21.28

-17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 CUP 24.28

$1.20 MX$20.63

-15.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 CUP 72.4

$4.55 MX$78.5

-33.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 CUP 238

$10.37 MX$179

-4.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 CUP 48.68

$1.62 MX$27.91

25.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CUP 49.11

$2.88 MX$49.67

-28.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.98 CUP 480

$28.80 MX$497

-30.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 CUP 23.42

$5.39 MX$92.9

-81.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 CUP 23.34

$3.73 MX$64.3

-73.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.67 CUP 472

$5.77 MX$99.5

240.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 CUP 23.60

$1.54 MX$26.48

-36.36%

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

$68.9K CUP 1.7M

$22.5K MX$388.8K

205.67%

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

$79.7K CUP 1.9M

$26.1K MX$449.3K

205.78%

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

$40.10 CUP 962

$91.4 MX$1,576

-56.12%

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

$40.25 CUP 966

$25.20 MX$435

59.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$224 CUP 5,371

$31.24 MX$539

616.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.52 CUP 948

$67.2 MX$1,159

-41.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.82 CUP 236

$29.11 MX$502

-66.27%

Cinema Ticket

$0.99 CUP 23.70

$4.86 MX$83.8

-79.63%

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

$90.0 CUP 2,160

$224 MX$3,856

-59.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K CUP 356.4K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

251.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.53 CUP 973

$47.10 MX$812

-13.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.88 CUP 717

$44.29 MX$764

-32.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 CUP 1,764

$80.1 MX$1,381

-8.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 CUP 1,929

$92.7 MX$1,598

-13.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 CUP 9,451

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-62.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 CUP 10.0K

$390 MX$6,728

6.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 CUP 25.2K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-51.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 CUP 15.2K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-50.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$305 CUP 7,310

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-92.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$356 CUP 8,547

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-94.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$19.79 CUP 475

$758 MX$13.1K

-97.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-12.66%

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

Last update for Cayo Coco: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $394 in Cayo Coco and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3731% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $276 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 2% 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 3731% 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: $394 in Cayo Coco versus $1,063 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 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $90.0 in Cayo Coco versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,245 in Cayo Coco versus $1,266 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 $1,245 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 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.