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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,159 in Cesis versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,892 in Cesis versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,625 in Cesis versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cesis costs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cesis 16% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.72

$11.71 MX$199

45.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €59.6

$46.59 MX$791

48.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 €7.83

$11.65 MX$198

-22.15%

Cappuccino

$3.95 €3.41

$4.09 MX$69.5

-3.42%

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

$1.66 €1.44

$1.37 MX$23.34

21.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$0.83 MX$14.16

48.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 €5.08

$3.35 MX$56.9

75.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €3.89

$6.91 MX$117

-34.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.73 MX$29.33

-28.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.27

$2.26 MX$38.39

-34.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.77 MX$30.05

42.94%

Eggs

$2.84 €2.45

$2.73 MX$46.41

4.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 €9.20

$9.18 MX$156

16.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.20 €7.94

$8.92 MX$151

3.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 €12.51

$12.60 MX$214

15.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €1.95

$3.02 MX$51.3

-25.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.57 MX$26.68

21.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.13 MX$36.10

19.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$2.26 MX$38.46

33.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 €0.81

$2.00 MX$34.04

-53.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 €0.87

$2.06 MX$35.06

-51.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.54

$1.18 MX$20.04

50.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.20 MX$20.45

-15.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.07

$4.63 MX$78.7

51.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 €6.93

$10.69 MX$182

-24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.54

$1.62 MX$27.50

9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.88 MX$48.93

-28.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 €3.08

$5.45 MX$92.5

-34.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.89

$3.70 MX$62.9

-72.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.32 €15.81

$5.98 MX$102

206.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.55 MX$26.38

29.68%

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

$28.4K €24.5K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

27.32%

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

$32.6K €28.1K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

25.59%

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

$381 €328

$89.1 MX$1,514

326.95%

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

$21.56 €18.60

$25.04 MX$425

-13.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.78 €17.06

$31.50 MX$535

-37.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,151

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €9.75

$5.05 MX$85.8

123.76%

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

$647 €558

$225 MX$3,820

187.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K €15.8K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

334.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 €63.0

$47.44 MX$806

53.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 €44.84

$44.98 MX$764

15.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 €77.9

$82.0 MX$1,392

10.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €122

$92.1 MX$1,564

53.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,884

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 €249

$1,301 MX$22.1K

-77.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,892 €1,632

$749 MX$12.7K

152.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

11.45

-79.04%

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

Last update for Cesis: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Cesis pays 153% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Cesis vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $277, with Cesis cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Cesis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 153% higher in Cesis, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $647 in Cesis versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cesis – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,159 in Cesis versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cesis but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cesis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cesis is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cesis 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 Cesis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.