Cost of Living Comparison Between Civita Castellana and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Civita Castellana and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,007 in Civita Castellana versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,908 in Civita Castellana versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,810 in Civita Castellana versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Civita Castellana is roughly 55% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Civita Castellana is 46% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.15 €13.03

$11.71 MX$198

29.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 €57.8

$46.59 MX$788

44.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.50 €9.88

$11.65 MX$197

-1.29%

Cappuccino

$1.84 €1.58

$4.09 MX$69.2

-55.01%

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

$3.04 €2.62

$1.37 MX$23.23

121.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.34

$0.83 MX$14.09

87.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.12

$3.35 MX$56.7

77.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 €5.05

$6.91 MX$117

-15.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.73 MX$29.20

-1.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 €2.59

$2.26 MX$38.21

33.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$1.77 MX$29.91

45.76%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.43

$2.73 MX$46.19

89.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.07 €13.82

$9.18 MX$155

75.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.25 €16.55

$8.92 MX$151

115.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.49 €17.62

$12.60 MX$213

62.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$3.02 MX$51.1

-9.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.57 MX$26.55

100.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.13 MX$35.93

26.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 €4.06

$2.26 MX$38.28

108.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.94 €2.52

$2.00 MX$33.88

47.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 €2.21

$2.06 MX$34.90

24.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.18 MX$19.94

29.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.51

$1.20 MX$20.35

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 €5.45

$4.63 MX$78.4

36.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 €7.14

$10.69 MX$181

-22.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.62 MX$27.38

29.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$2.88 MX$48.70

-45.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 €1.54

$0.57 MX$9.69

215.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.70 €33.27

$29.83 MX$504

29.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 €4.76

$5.45 MX$92.1

1.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 €1.43

$3.70 MX$62.6

-55.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.59 €27.16

$5.98 MX$101

428.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.55 MX$26.26

31.61%

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

$40.7K €35.0K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

82.47%

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

$40.0K €34.4K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

53.98%

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

$362 €311

$89.1 MX$1,507

306.10%

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

$17.43 €14.99

$25.04 MX$423

-30.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.59 €22.86

$31.50 MX$532

-15.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 €44.37

$67.8 MX$1,146

-23.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 €20.78

$28.92 MX$489

-16.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 €8.92

$5.05 MX$85.4

105.35%

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

$210 €180

$225 MX$3,803

-6.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,740 €8,374

$4,222 MX$71.4K

130.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 €69.8

$47.44 MX$802

71.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.59 €23.72

$44.98 MX$760

-38.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

$82.0 MX$1,386

50.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 €148

$92.1 MX$1,557

87.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 €676

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-26.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 €457

$405 MX$6,852

31.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 €1,151

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-30.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 €834

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-25.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,602 €2,237

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-34.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 €1,766

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-69.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

11.45

-62.18%

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

Last update for Civita Castellana: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Civita Castellana and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Civita Castellana vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $277 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

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

Civita Castellana and Playa del Carmen differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($2,007 vs $1,293 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 $3,010 in Civita Castellana and $1,940 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: $786 in Civita Castellana versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $67.0 in Civita Castellana. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,007 per month in Civita Castellana versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,007 in Civita Castellana, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Civita Castellana. 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Civita Castellana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.