Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuajimalpa and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuajimalpa: $1,141 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $760 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Cuajimalpa
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Cuajimalpa Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Cuajimalpa

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,141

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,141 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Cuajimalpa $1,141
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,827 in Cuajimalpa versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Cuajimalpa $1,827
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,514 in Cuajimalpa versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Cuajimalpa $2,514
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Cuajimalpa costs roughly 5% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuajimalpa 16% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.81 MX$200

$10.86 MX$201

-0.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 MX$797

$44.21 MX$817

-2.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 MX$154

$11.76 MX$217

-29.00%

Cappuccino

$3.60 MX$66.6

$3.68 MX$68.0

-2.17%

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

$1.40 MX$25.87

$1.34 MX$24.79

4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$19.50

$0.82 MX$15.24

29.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 MX$46.60

$3.06 MX$56.6

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 MX$73.2

$4.94 MX$91.2

-19.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$29.16

$1.47 MX$27.17

7.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$48.81

$2.22 MX$40.95

18.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MX$31.34

$1.48 MX$27.32

14.86%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.39

$2.49 MX$45.99

-1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 MX$149

$7.52 MX$139

7.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$150

$7.96 MX$147

1.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.30 MX$209

$12.57 MX$232

-10.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 MX$51.5

$2.78 MX$51.3

0.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$27.83

$1.43 MX$26.37

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.44

$2.62 MX$48.37

-29.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 MX$33.42

$2.14 MX$39.49

-15.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.89

$2.02 MX$37.38

-0.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$35.21

$1.99 MX$36.74

-4.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MX$26.42

$1.14 MX$21.01

25.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$20.79

$1.20 MX$22.18

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 MX$82.1

$4.26 MX$78.7

4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 MX$194

$10.02 MX$185

4.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$33.13

$1.54 MX$28.41

16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$58.8

$2.66 MX$49.17

19.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$12.73

$0.53 MX$9.73

30.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 MX$48.32

$4.90 MX$90.6

-46.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 MX$37.15

$3.43 MX$63.5

-41.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 MX$202

$5.38 MX$99.4

102.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.64

$1.45 MX$26.76

-0.69%

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

$20.9K MX$386.5K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

-1.15%

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

$24.3K MX$448.9K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

5.54%

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

$57.5 MX$1,063

$85.4 MX$1,577

-32.63%

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

$22.78 MX$421

$23.46 MX$434

-2.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.83 MX$551

$28.43 MX$525

4.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.34 MX$635

$62.2 MX$1,149

-44.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 MX$373

$28.68 MX$530

-29.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 MX$98.1

$5.10 MX$94.3

4.12%

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

$223 MX$4,122

$201 MX$3,715

10.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,649 MX$85.9K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

17.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MX$1,008

$44.39 MX$820

22.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.13 MX$760

$41.35 MX$764

-0.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,863

$72.7 MX$1,344

38.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,636

$89.6 MX$1,656

-1.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 MX$11.1K

$979 MX$18.1K

-38.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 MX$7,290

$373 MX$6,887

5.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 MX$18.9K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-39.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 MX$14.1K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-30.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,905 MX$35.2K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-51.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,154 MX$21.3K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-81.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.45

-1.31%

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

Last update for Cuajimalpa: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuajimalpa

$395 34.6%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 5.5% $22

Groceries & Markets

Cuajimalpa

$262 23%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 1.5% $3.9

Eating Out

Cuajimalpa

$185 16.2%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 8.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Cuajimalpa

$128 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 13% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuajimalpa

$110 9.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 24.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Cuajimalpa

$45 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 61% $27

Getting Around

Cuajimalpa

$15 * 1.4%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 235% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Cuajimalpa and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Cuajimalpa vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $258, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cuajimalpa

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

07:54 7:54 AM

1 h ahead of Cuajimalpa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,686

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cuajimalpa Playa del Carmen 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Cuajimalpa
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

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

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,711 in Cuajimalpa and $1,806 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: $600 in Cuajimalpa versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $223 in Cuajimalpa versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuajimalpa – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,141 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuajimalpa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cuajimalpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuajimalpa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.