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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,434 in Centurion versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,285 in Centurion versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,136 in Centurion versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Centurion is roughly 10% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Centurion is 4% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.24 R 358

$11.96 MX$203

85.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.63 R 670

$47.38 MX$804

-12.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 R 99.5

$11.75 MX$199

-47.40%

Cappuccino

$2.73 R 43.99

$4.12 MX$70.0

-33.74%

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

$1.00 R 16.13

$1.40 MX$23.74

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.34

$0.91 MX$15.48

-2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 R 36.26

$3.21 MX$54.4

-29.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R 40.50

$7.07 MX$120

-64.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 R 20.35

$1.68 MX$28.44

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 R 20.77

$2.15 MX$36.48

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 35.36

$1.77 MX$30.10

24.29%

Eggs

$3.15 R 50.7

$2.82 MX$47.76

11.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 R 166

$9.20 MX$156

11.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.88 R 111

$9.23 MX$157

-25.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.25 R 117

$12.64 MX$214

-42.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.21

$2.95 MX$50.1

-36.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.76

$1.58 MX$26.79

17.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 R 36.98

$2.22 MX$37.70

3.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 R 35.06

$2.36 MX$40.09

-7.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.64

$1.99 MX$33.81

-17.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.34

$1.98 MX$33.58

-1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 R 22.47

$1.24 MX$21.04

12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 24.49

$1.21 MX$20.55

25.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 R 61.1

$4.60 MX$78.1

-17.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 R 103

$10.52 MX$178

-39.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 R 26.26

$1.69 MX$28.70

-3.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 R 34.05

$2.77 MX$47.06

-23.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 R 39.65

$0.60 MX$10.22

310.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 R 1,620

$29.70 MX$504

238.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 R 19.53

$5.24 MX$88.8

-76.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 R 19.62

$3.65 MX$61.9

-66.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.14 R 147

$5.78 MX$98.1

58.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 R 22.82

$1.54 MX$26.09

-7.79%

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

$36.6K R 588.9K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

60.39%

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

$33.6K R 540.9K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

30.11%

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

$146 R 2,344

$90.7 MX$1,538

60.52%

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

$31.61 R 509

$25.19 MX$427

25.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 R 687

$31.75 MX$539

34.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.99 R 741

$68.8 MX$1,167

-33.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 R 179

$4.86 MX$82.5

128.60%

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

$319 R 5,140

$226 MX$3,828

41.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,504 R 72.5K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

7.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 R 978

$47.38 MX$804

28.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.61 R 735

$43.45 MX$737

4.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 R 1,970

$80.2 MX$1,361

52.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,735

$91.4 MX$1,550

17.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 R 5,623

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-67.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 R 6,298

$409 MX$6,933

-4.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 R 9,724

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-69.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 R 14.9K

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-27.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$543 R 8,743

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-86.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$638 R 10.3K

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-90.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,456 R 39.6K

$773 MX$13.1K

217.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

11.45

-8.30%

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

Last update for Centurion: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $349 in Centurion and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 218% 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: $42.00 in Centurion vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $278 per month, with Centurion 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Centurion. 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 218% higher in Centurion, 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: $349 in Centurion versus $1,086 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 239% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $319 in Centurion versus $226 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,434 in Centurion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Centurion. 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 $1,305 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Centurion and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.