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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,682 in Cento versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,733 in Cento versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,783 in Cento versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cento is roughly 33% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cento is 23% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.12 €18.38

$11.60 MX$200

82.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 €81.7

$47.11 MX$811

99.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 €10.47

$11.88 MX$205

1.26%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €1.97

$3.98 MX$68.5

-43.22%

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

$3.37 €2.94

$1.43 MX$24.57

135.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.45

$0.82 MX$14.20

102.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 €5.60

$3.19 MX$54.9

101.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 €5.05

$6.79 MX$117

-14.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.68 MX$28.85

-15.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.20 MX$37.83

26.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 €2.39

$1.71 MX$29.41

60.82%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.47

$2.74 MX$47.20

45.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.38 €16.86

$9.58 MX$165

102.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.83 €11.17

$9.01 MX$155

42.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 €15.62

$12.81 MX$221

40.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$2.89 MX$49.74

-21.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.50 MX$25.78

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.69

$2.15 MX$36.98

-9.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.27

$2.26 MX$38.91

15.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.98 MX$34.10

-20.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.99 MX$34.26

-29.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.23 MX$21.25

38.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$1.20 MX$20.60

-53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.09

$4.55 MX$78.3

53.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 €7.07

$10.37 MX$179

-21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.62 MX$27.88

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.88 MX$49.60

-30.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.49

$0.60 MX$10.34

186.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 €43.06

$28.80 MX$496

71.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €4.02

$5.39 MX$92.8

-14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.33

$3.73 MX$64.2

-58.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.69 €24.97

$5.77 MX$99.3

397.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.54 MX$26.45

38.31%

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

$36.9K €32.2K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

63.86%

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

$35.7K €31.1K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

36.92%

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

$225 €195

$91.4 MX$1,573

145.75%

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

$11.56 €10.06

$25.20 MX$434

-54.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 €24.64

$31.24 MX$538

-9.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 €43.74

$67.2 MX$1,157

-25.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.02 €21.78

$29.11 MX$501

-14.05%

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 €9.03

$4.86 MX$83.7

113.37%

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

$579 €504

$224 MX$3,851

158.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,588 €3,993

$4,229 MX$72.8K

8.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 €84.1

$47.10 MX$811

105.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.52 €37.88

$44.29 MX$763

-1.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.5

$80.1 MX$1,379

28.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 €135

$92.7 MX$1,596

67.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 €485

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-47.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 €405

$390 MX$6,719

19.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 €959

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-48.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$972 €846

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-23.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 €2,717

$4,001 MX$68.9K

-21.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,998 €1,739

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-69.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,812 €1,577

$758 MX$13.1K

139.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.22

11.45

-71.88%

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

Last update for Cento: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $557 in Cento and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 139% 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: $94.0 in Cento vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $276 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Cento. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 139% higher in Cento, 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: $557 in Cento 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 Playa del Carmen runs roughly 72% less than in Cento. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $579 in Cento versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,682 in Cento, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cento. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Cento. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.