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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,000 in Cuernavaca versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,665 in Cuernavaca versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,329 in Cuernavaca versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 21% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuernavaca 26% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.41 MX$164

$11.87 MX$207

-20.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.50 MX$636

$42.90 MX$747

-14.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 MX$121

$10.65 MX$186

-34.74%

Cappuccino

$2.25 MX$39.27

$3.45 MX$60.1

-34.78%

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

$1.30 MX$22.58

$1.50 MX$26.19

-13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$13.54

$0.95 MX$16.52

-17.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MX$40.25

$3.03 MX$52.7

-23.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$4.61 MX$80.3

-32.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.94

$1.38 MX$23.96

12.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 MX$30.03

$1.85 MX$32.18

-7.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$1.61 MX$28.06

-16.77%

Eggs

$1.86 MX$32.46

$2.59 MX$45.18

-28.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MX$141

$8.26 MX$144

-1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 MX$108

$8.37 MX$146

-25.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 MX$227

$10.66 MX$186

22.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.28

$2.63 MX$45.80

-18.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 MX$23.20

$1.49 MX$25.92

-10.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.81

$1.92 MX$33.44

-10.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.23

$2.09 MX$36.34

-25.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.21

$1.86 MX$32.35

-6.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.85

$2.26 MX$39.39

-16.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 MX$16.73

$1.06 MX$18.51

-9.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$13.46

$1.09 MX$18.95

-29.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.5

$4.15 MX$72.3

-1.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.47 MX$147

$10.39 MX$181

-18.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.48

$1.72 MX$30.03

-34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 MX$50.3

$2.61 MX$45.52

10.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.54 MX$9.44

1.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 MX$457

$26.94 MX$469

-2.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 MX$32.83

$3.13 MX$54.5

-39.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MX$21.61

$2.51 MX$43.73

-50.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.47 MX$165

$3.15 MX$54.9

200.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.20

$1.27 MX$22.21

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

$18.7K MX$325.7K

$30.4K MX$529.1K

-38.45%

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

$20.7K MX$360.5K

$23.6K MX$410.5K

-12.18%

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

$60.5 MX$1,054

$83.0 MX$1,446

-27.10%

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

$22.55 MX$393

$22.71 MX$396

-0.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.25 MX$492

$29.46 MX$513

-4.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.93 MX$400

$51.0 MX$888

-55.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.70 MX$274

$18.33 MX$319

-14.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 MX$94.5

$4.93 MX$85.8

10.14%

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

$212 MX$3,689

$197 MX$3,437

7.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,925 MX$85.8K

$5,280 MX$92.0K

-6.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.01 MX$836

$36.90 MX$643

30.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.50 MX$688

$39.89 MX$695

-0.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,747

$80.0 MX$1,394

25.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 MX$1,429

$89.5 MX$1,559

-8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 MX$6,626

$956 MX$16.7K

-60.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 MX$5,434

$477 MX$8,311

-34.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$899 MX$15.7K

$1,646 MX$28.7K

-45.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 MX$13.5K

$1,225 MX$21.3K

-36.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$903 MX$15.7K

$3,918 MX$68.3K

-76.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$632 MX$11.0K

$6,459 MX$112.5K

-90.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$679 MX$11.8K

$667 MX$11.6K

1.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

11.42

-0.79%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $380 in Cuernavaca and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Cuernavaca vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $250 per month, with Cuernavaca 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

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

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cuernavaca pays 2% 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: $380 in Cuernavaca 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 12% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,000 in Cuernavaca versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca 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, Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.