Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa da Caparica and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa da Caparica and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,596 in Costa da Caparica versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Costa da Caparica versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,165 in Costa da Caparica versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Costa da Caparica is roughly 26% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Costa da Caparica is 17% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 €10.00

$11.60 MX$200

-1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.17 €40.25

$47.11 MX$812

-2.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 €7.90

$11.88 MX$205

-23.74%

Cappuccino

$2.16 €1.88

$3.98 MX$68.6

-45.73%

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

$1.85 €1.61

$1.43 MX$24.60

29.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.82 MX$14.22

67.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 €2.00

$3.19 MX$55.0

-27.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.06

$6.79 MX$117

-48.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.93

$1.68 MX$28.89

-36.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.40

$2.20 MX$37.88

-27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.45

$1.71 MX$29.45

-2.92%

Eggs

$3.13 €2.73

$2.74 MX$47.26

14.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.21 €9.77

$9.58 MX$165

17.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.77

$9.01 MX$155

-13.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 €12.13

$12.81 MX$221

8.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$2.89 MX$49.81

-21.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.50 MX$25.81

-0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 €1.55

$2.15 MX$37.03

-17.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.18

$2.26 MX$38.96

10.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.98 MX$34.15

-26.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.99 MX$34.30

-4.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.23 MX$21.28

25.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.20 MX$20.63

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.10 €5.31

$4.55 MX$78.5

34.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.34 €4.66

$10.37 MX$179

-48.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.62 MX$27.91

-19.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.88 MX$49.67

-17.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 €1.96

$0.60 MX$10.35

275.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.23 €36.81

$28.80 MX$497

46.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 €3.61

$5.39 MX$92.9

-23.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 €0.75

$3.73 MX$64.3

-76.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.19 €14.98

$5.77 MX$99.5

197.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.54 MX$26.48

27.92%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

55.06%

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

$39.9K €34.8K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

53.04%

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

$133 €116

$91.4 MX$1,576

45.80%

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

$20.99 €18.30

$25.20 MX$435

-16.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.54 €36.21

$31.24 MX$539

32.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.08 €38.42

$67.2 MX$1,159

-34.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 €13.24

$29.11 MX$502

-47.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 €7.49

$4.86 MX$83.8

76.75%

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

$459 €400

$224 MX$3,856

105.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,399 €7,321

$4,229 MX$72.9K

98.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 €63.2

$47.10 MX$812

54.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 €34.13

$44.29 MX$764

-11.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €81.7

$80.1 MX$1,381

17.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 €80.8

$92.7 MX$1,598

0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 €799

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-13.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 €627

$390 MX$6,728

84.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 €1,265

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-32.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,000

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-9.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,983 €2,601

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-25.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,288 €1,995

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-64.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

11.45

-56.24%

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

Last update for Costa da Caparica: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $917 in Costa da Caparica and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Costa da Caparica vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $276 per month, with Costa da Caparica 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

Costa da Caparica vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa da Caparica and Playa del Carmen differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,596 vs $1,266 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 $2,394 in Costa da Caparica and $1,899 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: $917 in Costa da Caparica versus $1,063 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 $46.00 in Costa da Caparica. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,596 per month in Costa da Caparica versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,596 in Costa da Caparica, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Costa da Caparica. 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, Costa da Caparica 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 26% less than in Costa da Caparica. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.