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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,280 in Cuautla versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,096 in Cuautla versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,912 in Cuautla versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cuautla costs roughly 2% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuautla 7% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 MX$197

$11.96 MX$203

-2.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 MX$1,091

$47.38 MX$804

35.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.44 MX$160

$11.75 MX$199

-19.66%

Cappuccino

$3.94 MX$66.8

$4.12 MX$70.0

-4.37%

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

$1.83 MX$31.02

$1.40 MX$23.74

30.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.47

$0.91 MX$15.48

26.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 MX$64.4

$3.21 MX$54.4

18.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 MX$101

$7.07 MX$120

-15.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 MX$33.42

$1.68 MX$28.44

17.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 MX$48.41

$2.15 MX$36.48

32.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.16

$1.77 MX$30.10

16.95%

Eggs

$2.92 MX$49.54

$2.82 MX$47.76

3.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 MX$161

$9.20 MX$156

3.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 MX$164

$9.23 MX$157

4.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.64 MX$248

$12.64 MX$214

15.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 MX$62.9

$2.95 MX$50.1

25.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MX$28.72

$1.58 MX$26.79

6.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 MX$39.32

$2.22 MX$37.70

4.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.91

$2.36 MX$40.09

-12.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.80

$1.99 MX$33.81

3.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$31.92

$1.98 MX$33.58

-5.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MX$26.54

$1.24 MX$21.04

25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.32

$1.21 MX$20.55

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.79 MX$81.3

$4.60 MX$78.1

4.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.08 MX$324

$10.52 MX$178

81.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 MX$40.43

$1.69 MX$28.70

40.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MX$74.0

$2.77 MX$47.06

57.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MX$12.53

$0.60 MX$10.22

23.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 MX$59.7

$5.24 MX$88.8

-32.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 MX$46.15

$3.65 MX$61.9

-25.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.74 MX$199

$5.78 MX$98.1

103.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.07

$1.54 MX$26.09

-7.79%

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

$22.7K MX$384.9K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

-0.48%

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

$25.6K MX$433.9K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

-0.90%

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

$65.9 MX$1,118

$90.7 MX$1,538

-27.33%

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

$28.94 MX$491

$25.19 MX$427

14.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.03 MX$459

$31.75 MX$539

-14.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.41 MX$635

$68.8 MX$1,167

-45.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 MX$359

$29.37 MX$498

-27.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.01 MX$136

$4.86 MX$82.5

64.81%

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

$285 MX$4,839

$226 MX$3,828

26.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,377 MX$91.2K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

28.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 MX$946

$47.38 MX$804

17.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.98 MX$831

$43.45 MX$737

12.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,798

$80.2 MX$1,361

32.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 MX$1,784

$91.4 MX$1,550

15.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 MX$11.2K

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-39.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 MX$7,097

$409 MX$6,933

2.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 MX$19.1K

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-42.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$808 MX$13.7K

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-36.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,954 MX$33.2K

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-51.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,218 MX$20.7K

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-81.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.99

11.45

4.72%

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

Last update for Cuautla: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $657 in Cuautla and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Cuautla vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $278 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Cuautla is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,920 in Cuautla and $1,958 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: $657 in Cuautla versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $285 in Cuautla versus $226 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 Cuautla – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,280 in Cuautla versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuautla but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cuautla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuautla 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.

Expats usually find Cuautla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.