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: $1,218 in Cozumel versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,982 in Cozumel versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Cozumel versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cozumel costs roughly 4% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cozumel 11% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.15 MX$158

$11.60 MX$200

-21.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.88 MX$808

$47.11 MX$812

-0.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 MX$155

$11.88 MX$205

-24.58%

Cappuccino

$3.04 MX$52.4

$3.98 MX$68.6

-23.62%

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

$1.20 MX$20.74

$1.43 MX$24.60

-16.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.67

$0.82 MX$14.22

24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 MX$29.28

$3.19 MX$55.0

-46.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 MX$59.0

$6.79 MX$117

-49.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$26.16

$1.68 MX$28.89

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 MX$31.03

$2.20 MX$37.88

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.16

$1.71 MX$29.45

12.28%

Eggs

$2.04 MX$35.19

$2.74 MX$47.26

-25.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 MX$191

$9.58 MX$165

15.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 MX$144

$9.01 MX$155

-7.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 MX$226

$12.81 MX$221

2.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.08

$2.89 MX$49.81

-9.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 MX$26.56

$1.50 MX$25.81

2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.95

$2.15 MX$37.03

5.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MX$28.81

$2.26 MX$38.96

-26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$42.32

$1.98 MX$34.15

23.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.67

$1.99 MX$34.30

-5.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$25.93

$1.23 MX$21.28

21.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.59

$1.20 MX$20.63

-0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 MX$82.1

$4.55 MX$78.5

4.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.45 MX$197

$10.37 MX$179

10.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.62 MX$27.91

-0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$46.02

$2.88 MX$49.67

-7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.45

$0.60 MX$10.35

1.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 MX$1,195

$28.80 MX$497

140.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 MX$51.0

$5.39 MX$92.9

-45.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$3.73 MX$64.3

-11.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.57 MX$165

$5.77 MX$99.5

65.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.54 MX$26.48

-5.19%

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

$21.8K MX$375.3K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

-3.47%

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

$24.9K MX$430.0K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

-4.29%

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

$61.4 MX$1,059

$91.4 MX$1,576

-32.80%

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

$22.07 MX$381

$25.20 MX$435

-12.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.61 MX$407

$31.24 MX$539

-24.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 MX$691

$67.2 MX$1,159

-40.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.08 MX$363

$29.11 MX$502

-27.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 MX$108

$4.86 MX$83.8

28.81%

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

$268 MX$4,616

$224 MX$3,856

19.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,839 MX$66.2K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

-9.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$988

$47.10 MX$812

21.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 MX$958

$44.29 MX$764

25.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,854

$80.1 MX$1,381

34.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 MX$1,532

$92.7 MX$1,598

-4.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 MX$11.1K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-39.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 MX$7,191

$390 MX$6,728

6.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 MX$29.5K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-20.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 MX$14.3K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-35.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,981 MX$34.2K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-50.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,218 MX$21.0K

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-81.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$701 MX$12.1K

$758 MX$13.1K

-7.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.64

11.45

1.66%

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

Last update for Cozumel: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $646 in Cozumel and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 8% 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: $47.00 in Cozumel vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $276 per month, with Cozumel 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

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

Cozumel and Playa del Carmen differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,218 vs $1,266 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $646 in Cozumel versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

At $1,218 in Cozumel versus $1,266 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 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.