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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $827 in Cimislia versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,161 in Cimislia versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,496 in Cimislia versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cimislia costs roughly 37% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cimislia 40% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 MDL 123

$11.96 MX$203

-40.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.96 MDL 394

$47.38 MX$804

-51.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 MDL 186

$11.75 MX$199

-7.91%

Cappuccino

$1.76 MDL 30.25

$4.12 MX$70.0

-57.28%

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

$1.11 MDL 19.00

$1.40 MX$23.74

-20.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MDL 11.66

$0.91 MX$15.48

-25.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 MDL 19.76

$3.21 MX$54.4

-64.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 MDL 40.31

$7.07 MX$120

-66.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 MDL 18.20

$1.68 MX$28.44

-36.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 MDL 7.35

$2.15 MX$36.48

-80.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MDL 28.42

$1.77 MX$30.10

-6.21%

Eggs

$2.12 MDL 36.32

$2.82 MX$47.76

-24.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.88 MDL 118

$9.20 MX$156

-25.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 MDL 72.0

$9.23 MX$157

-54.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.47 MDL 111

$12.64 MX$214

-48.81%

Apples (1kg)

$0.60 MDL 10.33

$2.95 MX$50.1

-79.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 MDL 39.45

$1.58 MX$26.79

45.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MDL 24.62

$2.22 MX$37.70

-35.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MDL 35.83

$2.36 MX$40.09

-11.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 9.60

$1.99 MX$33.81

-71.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 9.55

$1.98 MX$33.58

-71.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 MDL 7.82

$1.24 MX$21.04

-62.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MDL 10.29

$1.21 MX$20.55

-50.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 MDL 58.2

$4.60 MX$78.1

-26.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.53 MDL 77.8

$10.52 MX$178

-56.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MDL 20.53

$1.69 MX$28.70

-28.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 MDL 35.68

$2.77 MX$47.06

-24.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MDL 5.19

$0.60 MX$10.22

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 MDL 50.9

$5.24 MX$88.8

-43.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.68

$3.65 MX$61.9

-92.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MDL 99.3

$5.78 MX$98.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MDL 25.69

$1.54 MX$26.09

-2.60%

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

$35.3K MDL 605.8K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

54.83%

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

$24.9K MDL 426.8K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

-3.64%

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

$229 MDL 3,930

$90.7 MX$1,538

152.62%

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

$8.26 MDL 142

$25.19 MX$427

-67.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.48 MDL 197

$31.75 MX$539

-63.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.84 MDL 306

$68.8 MX$1,167

-74.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$8.12 MDL 139

$4.86 MX$82.5

67.08%

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

$115 MDL 1,970

$226 MX$3,828

-49.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,514 MDL 94.6K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

31.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.58 MDL 799

$47.38 MX$804

-1.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.0 MDL 995

$80.2 MX$1,361

-27.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.5 MDL 884

$91.4 MX$1,550

-43.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 MDL 3,945

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-78.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 MDL 2,998

$409 MX$6,933

-57.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$352 MDL 6,046

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-82.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 MDL 4,951

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-77.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$758 MDL 13.0K

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-81.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$696 MDL 11.9K

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-89.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$434 MDL 7,441

$773 MX$13.1K

-43.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-30.13%

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

Last update for Cimislia: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $230 in Cimislia and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 78% 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: $23.00 in Cimislia vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $155 vs $278 per month, with Cimislia 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

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

Cimislia wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cimislia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 78% 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: $230 in Cimislia versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $827 per month in Cimislia versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $827 in Cimislia versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cimislia but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cimislia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cimislia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $827 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cimislia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cimislia 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 Cimislia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.