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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,089 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,734 in Cuajimalpa versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,379 in Cuajimalpa versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cuajimalpa costs roughly 16% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuajimalpa 19% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.47 MX$183

$11.73 MX$205

-10.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.89 MX$679

$41.62 MX$727

-6.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 MX$142

$10.64 MX$186

-23.87%

Cappuccino

$3.32 MX$58.1

$3.52 MX$61.5

-5.68%

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

$1.29 MX$22.61

$1.51 MX$26.37

-14.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MX$16.23

$0.97 MX$17.00

-4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 MX$41.36

$2.95 MX$51.5

-19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 MX$69.1

$4.45 MX$77.8

-11.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$25.71

$1.38 MX$24.16

6.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.89 MX$33.04

38.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$28.32

$1.64 MX$28.59

-1.22%

Eggs

$2.41 MX$42.03

$2.51 MX$43.76

-3.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 MX$144

$8.34 MX$146

-1.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 MX$137

$8.34 MX$146

-5.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 MX$182

$10.73 MX$187

-2.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 MX$46.56

$2.60 MX$45.48

2.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.18

$1.46 MX$25.45

-1.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.43

$1.90 MX$33.19

-5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.49

$2.08 MX$36.26

-24.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.92

$1.78 MX$31.01

2.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.99

$2.19 MX$38.16

-8.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$21.01

$1.04 MX$18.16

15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.72

$1.08 MX$18.80

-6.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.6

$4.08 MX$71.3

0.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 MX$190

$10.32 MX$180

5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$28.39

$1.71 MX$29.90

-4.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 MX$50.2

$2.58 MX$44.98

11.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.41

$0.51 MX$8.90

27.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MX$46.20

$3.26 MX$57.0

-18.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.98

$2.49 MX$43.51

-38.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 MX$142

$3.25 MX$56.7

149.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.99

$1.31 MX$22.83

0.76%

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

$20.9K MX$365.3K

$30.3K MX$528.8K

-30.92%

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

$22.2K MX$387.6K

$23.4K MX$409.2K

-5.29%

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

$57.2 MX$998

$82.9 MX$1,447

-31.02%

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

$22.44 MX$392

$22.22 MX$388

0.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.34 MX$495

$29.34 MX$512

-3.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.51 MX$638

$51.6 MX$902

-29.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 MX$274

$18.32 MX$320

-14.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 MX$80.7

$5.07 MX$88.5

-8.88%

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

$206 MX$3,593

$201 MX$3,507

2.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,570 MX$62.4K

$5,212 MX$91.0K

-31.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 MX$906

$36.92 MX$645

40.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.62 MX$692

$39.79 MX$695

-0.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 MX$1,575

$78.5 MX$1,370

14.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 MX$1,393

$87.1 MX$1,521

-8.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 MX$8,908

$973 MX$17.0K

-47.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,882

$468 MX$8,169

-15.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 MX$16.4K

$1,641 MX$28.7K

-42.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 MX$13.3K

$1,221 MX$21.3K

-37.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,108 MX$36.8K

$3,946 MX$68.9K

-46.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,377 MX$24.0K

$6,498 MX$113.5K

-78.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.42

0.53%

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

Last update for Cuajimalpa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $510 in Cuajimalpa and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Cuajimalpa vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $249, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,633 in Cuajimalpa and $1,945 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: $510 in Cuajimalpa versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $206 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 $39.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,089 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,297 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 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.