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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,173 in Cozumel versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,795 in Cozumel versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,416 in Cozumel versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cozumel costs roughly 7% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cozumel 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.48 MX$147

$11.72 MX$203

-27.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.08 MX$745

$41.89 MX$725

2.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 MX$136

$10.51 MX$182

-25.21%

Cappuccino

$3.16 MX$54.7

$3.59 MX$62.0

-11.98%

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

$1.22 MX$21.08

$1.51 MX$26.10

-19.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.42

$0.92 MX$15.83

21.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 MX$32.36

$2.96 MX$51.2

-36.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 MX$62.5

$4.41 MX$76.3

-18.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 MX$23.99

$1.40 MX$24.16

-0.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 MX$26.81

$1.88 MX$32.60

-17.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.94

$1.56 MX$26.97

-3.85%

Eggs

$2.00 MX$34.68

$2.61 MX$45.14

-23.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 MX$179

$8.32 MX$144

24.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 MX$119

$8.35 MX$145

-17.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 MX$197

$10.86 MX$188

5.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MX$41.96

$2.71 MX$46.93

-10.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.15

$1.51 MX$26.04

-7.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.58

$1.87 MX$32.41

16.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$2.19 MX$37.89

-31.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.35

$1.86 MX$32.14

16.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$2.23 MX$38.59

-12.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.90

$1.07 MX$18.48

-3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.37

$1.09 MX$18.79

-12.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.6

$4.19 MX$72.4

1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.52 MX$199

$10.43 MX$180

10.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.99

$1.66 MX$28.68

-19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MX$48.91

$2.61 MX$45.19

8.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.33

$0.54 MX$9.37

20.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 MX$40.85

$3.08 MX$53.3

-23.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.38 MX$41.14

$2.40 MX$41.61

-0.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.65 MX$115

$3.13 MX$54.1

112.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.31 MX$22.69

-0.76%

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

$15.7K MX$271.0K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-47.45%

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

$21.2K MX$365.9K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-9.31%

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

$50.2 MX$868

$81.3 MX$1,406

-38.29%

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

$22.04 MX$381

$22.56 MX$390

-2.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.71 MX$376

$30.05 MX$520

-27.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.64 MX$634

$52.9 MX$915

-30.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 MX$275

$18.39 MX$318

-13.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 MX$79.4

$4.92 MX$85.1

-6.71%

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

$205 MX$3,546

$201 MX$3,474

2.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,481 MX$60.2K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-32.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$35.92 MX$622

57.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.00 MX$848

$40.13 MX$694

22.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 MX$1,549

$79.7 MX$1,379

12.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 MX$1,450

$86.5 MX$1,496

-3.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 MX$12.1K

$978 MX$16.9K

-28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 MX$8,534

$470 MX$8,140

4.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 MX$26.5K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-7.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 MX$13.2K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-36.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,930 MX$33.4K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-51.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,235 MX$21.4K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-81.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$676 MX$11.7K

$677 MX$11.7K

-0.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

11.42

2.28%

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

Last update for Cozumel: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $697 in Cozumel and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 0% 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: $43.00 in Cozumel vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $252, with Cozumel 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

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

Cozumel and Playa del Carmen differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,173 vs $1,260 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 0% 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: $697 in Cozumel versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,173 per month in Cozumel versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,173 in Cozumel versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cozumel but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cozumel 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, Cozumel 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 Cozumel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.