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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,821 in Cerise versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,768 in Cerise versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,716 in Cerise versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cerise is roughly 45% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cerise is 37% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 €15.04

$11.72 MX$204

47.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 €50.0

$41.89 MX$731

37.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.23

$10.51 MX$183

11.61%

Cappuccino

$3.43 €2.99

$3.59 MX$62.5

-4.46%

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

$2.76 €2.40

$1.51 MX$26.31

82.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.92 MX$15.96

91.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 €6.16

$2.96 MX$51.6

138.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 €5.20

$4.41 MX$76.9

35.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.40 MX$24.35

-7.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.88 MX$32.87

-3.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$1.56 MX$27.19

62.82%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.48

$2.61 MX$45.50

52.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €16.22

$8.32 MX$145

123.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 €11.64

$8.35 MX$146

60.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.71 €18.06

$10.86 MX$189

90.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 €2.69

$2.71 MX$47.31

14.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.97

$1.51 MX$26.25

49.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.44

$1.87 MX$32.67

49.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 €3.18

$2.19 MX$38.19

66.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 €1.90

$1.86 MX$32.40

17.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 €2.20

$2.23 MX$38.90

13.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.07 MX$18.63

37.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.59

$1.09 MX$18.94

-37.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.38 €11.66

$4.19 MX$73.0

219.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.64 €7.53

$10.43 MX$182

-17.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.35

$1.66 MX$28.91

62.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.08

$2.61 MX$45.56

35.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 €1.67

$0.54 MX$9.45

253.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.44 €42.23

$26.16 MX$456

85.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €4.01

$3.08 MX$53.7

49.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.57

$2.40 MX$41.94

-24.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.64 €31.94

$3.13 MX$54.5

1070.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.31 MX$22.87

59.54%

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

$37.5K €32.7K

$29.8K MX$519.9K

25.84%

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

$37.3K €32.5K

$23.3K MX$406.8K

59.72%

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

$197 €171

$81.3 MX$1,418

141.79%

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

$23.21 €20.24

$22.56 MX$393

2.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.32 €28.18

$30.05 MX$524

7.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.34 €33.42

$52.9 MX$923

-27.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 €15.78

$18.39 MX$321

-1.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 €12.07

$4.92 MX$85.8

181.30%

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

$782 €682

$201 MX$3,502

289.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,792 €7,665

$5,175 MX$90.2K

69.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.0

$35.92 MX$627

180.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.47 €33.53

$40.13 MX$700

-4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 €77.6

$79.7 MX$1,390

11.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €120

$86.5 MX$1,508

58.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 €678

$978 MX$17.1K

-20.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 €541

$470 MX$8,206

32.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 €1,187

$1,651 MX$28.8K

-17.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 €958

$1,203 MX$21.0K

-8.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,227 €3,685

$3,953 MX$69.0K

6.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 €2,374

$6,607 MX$115.2K

-58.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.63

11.42

-68.21%

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

Last update for Cerise: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $778 in Cerise and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $57.0 in Cerise vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $252 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

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

Cerise and Playa del Carmen differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,821 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,732 in Cerise and $1,890 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $778 in Cerise versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Cerise. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $57.0 in Cerise. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,821 in Cerise, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cerise. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cerise 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 45% less than in Cerise. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.