Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Coral Gables, FL and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,531 in Coral Gables, FL, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Coral Gables, FL
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Coral Gables, FL Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Coral Gables, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,531

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Coral Gables, FL and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Coral Gables, FL and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,531 in Coral Gables, FL versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Coral Gables, FL $2,531
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Coral Gables, FL versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Coral Gables, FL $3,732
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,932 in Coral Gables, FL versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Coral Gables, FL $4,932
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Coral Gables, FL is roughly 110% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Coral Gables, FL is 86% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 $17.61

$10.92 MX$204

61.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 $74.0

$43.37 MX$808

70.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 $10.12

$11.78 MX$220

-14.09%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$3.81 MX$71.0

37.53%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$1.28 MX$23.90

139.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.78 MX$14.59

146.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 $5.15

$3.17 MX$59.0

62.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.47 $7.47

$4.93 MX$92.0

51.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.41 MX$26.22

-41.13%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.22 MX$41.33

88.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.42 MX$26.42

121.83%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$2.52 MX$47.03

60.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 $13.24

$7.26 MX$135

82.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.15 $11.15

$7.70 MX$143

44.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 $14.97

$12.69 MX$237

17.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.78 MX$51.9

63.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.37 MX$25.50

14.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.55 MX$47.55

70.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$2.12 MX$39.58

153.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.94 MX$36.13

55.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.89 MX$35.16

58.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.15 MX$21.37

100.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.18 MX$21.98

6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.09 $9.09

$4.30 MX$80.1

111.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 $15.75

$9.95 MX$185

58.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.58 MX$29.52

31.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.67 MX$49.79

20.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.55 MX$10.31

256.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.9 $58.9

$26.62 MX$496

121.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$4.97 MX$92.6

-39.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.33 MX$62.1

-43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.36 $24.36

$5.36 MX$99.8

354.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.44 MX$26.92

-29.86%

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

$18.4K $18.4K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

-11.18%

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

$21.1K $21.1K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

-9.90%

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

$170 $170

$84.8 MX$1,581

101.07%

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

$39.67 $39.67

$23.41 MX$436

69.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$28.66 MX$534

105.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.48 $39.48

$57.1 MX$1,063

-30.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$12.97 $12.97

$5.14 MX$95.8

152.33%

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

$883 $883

$207 MX$3,851

327.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K $20.7K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

425.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 $73.3

$43.35 MX$808

69.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 $56.9

$41.44 MX$772

37.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$74.2 MX$1,383

59.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$89.3 MX$1,664

14.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,105 $3,105

$980 MX$18.3K

217.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 $1,281

$381 MX$7,099

236.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,534 $2,534

$1,708 MX$31.8K

48.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,134 $2,134

$1,075 MX$20.0K

98.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,814 $2,814

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-28.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,321 $2,321

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-62.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,871 $5,871

$735 MX$13.7K

699.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

11.45

-40.96%

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

Last update for Coral Gables, FL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Coral Gables, FL

$1.3K 50.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 70.3% $900

Groceries & Markets

Coral Gables, FL

$383 15.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 33.5% $129

Eating Out

Coral Gables, FL

$295 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 31.3% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Coral Gables, FL

$269 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 49.1% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Coral Gables, FL

$158 6.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 29.3% $46

Getting Around

Coral Gables, FL

$79 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 36.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Coral Gables, FL

$65 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 2.9% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,105 in Coral Gables, FL and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coral Gables, FL pays about 8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $74 in Coral Gables, FL vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Coral Gables, FL

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:02 4:02 PM

15:02 3:02 PM

1 h behind Coral Gables, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,794

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Coral Gables, FL Playa del Carmen 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Coral Gables, FL
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Coral Gables, FL vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,531 in Coral Gables, FL and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Playa del Carmen is about 52% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Coral Gables, FL is about 8 times higher, 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: $3,105 in Coral Gables, FL versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,531 per month in Coral Gables, FL versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 55% less than in Coral Gables, FL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,531 in Coral Gables, FL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Coral Gables, FL. 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 52% less than in Coral Gables, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.