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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,226 per month in Cuauhtémoc vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,936 per month in Cuauhtémoc vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Cuauhtémoc vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cuauhtémoc is about 3% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Cuauhtémoc and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Cuauhtémoc 10% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.69 MX$201

$11.60 MX$199

0.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.09 MX$808

$47.11 MX$809

-0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 MX$151

$11.88 MX$204

-25.93%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$65.4

$3.98 MX$68.2

-4.27%

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

$1.40 MX$24.10

$1.43 MX$24.49

-2.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.68

$0.82 MX$14.16

32.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 MX$49.12

$3.19 MX$54.7

-10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 MX$74.0

$6.79 MX$117

-36.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 MX$44.81

$2.20 MX$37.71

18.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.61

$1.71 MX$29.32

-5.85%

Eggs

$2.58 MX$44.23

$2.74 MX$47.05

-5.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 MX$153

$9.58 MX$164

-7.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 MX$157

$9.01 MX$155

1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 MX$228

$12.81 MX$220

3.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 MX$45.66

$2.89 MX$49.58

-7.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.01

$1.50 MX$25.70

20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MX$40.25

$2.15 MX$36.87

8.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.13

$2.26 MX$38.79

-22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.13

$1.98 MX$34.00

-8.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.99 MX$34.15

-5.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.24

$1.23 MX$21.18

24.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$18.80

$1.20 MX$20.54

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 MX$76.2

$4.55 MX$78.1

-2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 MX$218

$10.37 MX$178

22.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 MX$33.78

$1.62 MX$27.79

21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 MX$51.1

$2.88 MX$49.44

3.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.18

$0.60 MX$10.30

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MX$45.19

$5.39 MX$92.5

-51.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 MX$37.06

$3.73 MX$64.0

-42.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.61 MX$182

$5.77 MX$99.0

83.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 MX$29.80

$1.54 MX$26.37

12.99%

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

$21.4K MX$366.6K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

-5.29%

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

$26.9K MX$461.4K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

3.16%

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

$57.9 MX$994

$91.4 MX$1,569

-36.65%

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

$21.81 MX$374

$25.20 MX$433

-13.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.22 MX$467

$31.24 MX$536

-12.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.35 MX$693

$67.2 MX$1,154

-39.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.19 MX$312

$29.11 MX$500

-37.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.47 MX$93.9

$4.86 MX$83.5

12.55%

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

$233 MX$3,997

$224 MX$3,839

4.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,664 MX$80.0K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

10.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 MX$1,101

$47.10 MX$808

36.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.90 MX$685

$44.29 MX$760

-9.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,888

$80.1 MX$1,375

37.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 MX$1,650

$92.7 MX$1,591

3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$635 MX$10.9K

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-40.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 MX$6,233

$390 MX$6,698

-6.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 MX$19.3K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-47.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$802 MX$13.8K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-36.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,032 MX$34.9K

$4,001 MX$68.7K

-49.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,392 MX$23.9K

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-78.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

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 Cuauhtémoc: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $635 in Cuauhtémoc versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Cuauhtémoc versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $284 in Cuauhtémoc vs $276 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 3%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,838 per month in Cuauhtémoc and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuauhtémoc, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Cuauhtémoc and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuauhtémoc, where all-in costs run around $1,226, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Cuauhtémoc it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuauhtémoc – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cuauhtémoc. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.