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: $1,145 in Cozumel versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,350 in Cozumel versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,556 in Cozumel versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cozumel costs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cozumel 15% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 MX$148

$11.87 MX$204

-27.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.87 MX$736

$42.90 MX$736

-0.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 MX$133

$10.65 MX$183

-27.14%

Cappuccino

$3.06 MX$52.5

$3.45 MX$59.2

-11.30%

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

$1.21 MX$20.76

$1.50 MX$25.81

-19.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.37

$0.95 MX$16.28

12.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 MX$30.90

$3.03 MX$51.9

-40.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 MX$65.2

$4.61 MX$79.1

-17.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.38 MX$23.61

-1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 MX$26.58

$1.85 MX$31.70

-16.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.82

$1.61 MX$27.65

-6.83%

Eggs

$1.93 MX$33.21

$2.59 MX$44.51

-25.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 MX$177

$8.26 MX$142

24.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 MX$117

$8.37 MX$144

-18.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 MX$192

$10.66 MX$183

4.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 MX$40.29

$2.63 MX$45.12

-10.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.32

$1.49 MX$25.53

-4.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.57

$1.92 MX$32.94

10.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.09 MX$35.81

-28.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 MX$36.06

$1.86 MX$31.88

12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.96

$2.26 MX$38.81

-15.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.43

$1.06 MX$18.23

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.09

$1.09 MX$18.67

-13.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 MX$72.7

$4.15 MX$71.2

2.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.35 MX$195

$10.39 MX$178

9.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.59

$1.72 MX$29.59

-23.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.50

$2.61 MX$44.85

10.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.53

$0.54 MX$9.30

12.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 MX$40.67

$3.13 MX$53.7

-24.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$42.76

$2.51 MX$43.09

-0.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 MX$113

$3.15 MX$54.1

108.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.64

$1.27 MX$21.88

-0.79%

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

$15.8K MX$271.2K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-47.98%

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

$21.1K MX$361.5K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-10.62%

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

$50.5 MX$867

$83.0 MX$1,425

-39.13%

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

$21.65 MX$372

$22.71 MX$390

-4.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.87 MX$375

$29.46 MX$506

-25.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.31 MX$623

$51.0 MX$875

-28.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$365

$18.33 MX$315

15.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 MX$78.0

$4.93 MX$84.5

-7.91%

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

$394 MX$6,762

$197 MX$3,386

99.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,540 MX$60.8K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-32.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 MX$956

$36.90 MX$633

51.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 MX$822

$39.89 MX$685

20.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 MX$1,562

$80.0 MX$1,373

13.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 MX$1,467

$89.5 MX$1,536

-4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 MX$12.1K

$956 MX$16.4K

-26.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,200

$477 MX$8,189

0.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 MX$26.6K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-5.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 MX$34.6K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

64.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,460 MX$25.1K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-62.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,864 MX$32.0K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-71.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$688 MX$11.8K

$667 MX$11.4K

3.11%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $705 in Cozumel and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cozumel pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Cozumel vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $250 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,145 vs $1,271 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cozumel pays 3% more on average, 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: $705 in Cozumel versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,145 per month in Cozumel versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,145 in Cozumel versus $1,271 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 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.