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: $985 in Cuernavaca versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,667 in Cuernavaca versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,350 in Cuernavaca versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 22% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuernavaca 27% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.83 MX$170

$11.67 MX$202

-15.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.65 MX$653

$41.88 MX$726

-10.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 MX$120

$10.40 MX$180

-33.65%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MX$38.70

$3.61 MX$62.6

-38.23%

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

$1.29 MX$22.38

$1.47 MX$25.45

-12.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$13.45

$0.91 MX$15.80

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$3.03 MX$52.6

-26.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MX$54.6

$4.47 MX$77.4

-29.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.90

$1.38 MX$23.83

12.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 MX$30.22

$1.84 MX$31.93

-5.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 MX$23.94

$1.61 MX$27.82

-14.29%

Eggs

$1.79 MX$31.05

$2.57 MX$44.52

-30.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 MX$141

$8.49 MX$147

-4.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 MX$107

$8.49 MX$147

-27.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.26 MX$230

$10.99 MX$190

20.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.21

$2.73 MX$47.25

-21.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 MX$22.03

$1.50 MX$25.92

-15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.23

$1.96 MX$33.93

-8.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.84

$2.12 MX$36.70

-24.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.73

$1.86 MX$32.30

-7.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$2.17 MX$37.67

-12.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 MX$16.77

$1.07 MX$18.59

-9.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MX$12.31

$1.05 MX$18.18

-32.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.0

$4.19 MX$72.6

-0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.86 MX$154

$10.28 MX$178

-13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.82

$1.67 MX$28.87

-31.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.97

$2.49 MX$43.12

15.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.41

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.38 MX$457

$26.27 MX$455

0.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 MX$32.86

$3.10 MX$53.8

-38.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.68

$2.46 MX$42.66

-51.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.98 MX$156

$3.24 MX$56.1

177.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.66

$1.26 MX$21.83

-0.79%

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

$18.3K MX$316.7K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

-39.41%

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

$20.5K MX$355.9K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

-12.40%

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

$60.2 MX$1,043

$84.0 MX$1,456

-28.34%

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

$22.75 MX$394

$22.21 MX$385

2.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$497

$29.65 MX$514

-3.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.68 MX$393

$52.6 MX$912

-56.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.11 MX$279

$18.34 MX$318

-12.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 MX$94.1

$4.95 MX$85.7

9.70%

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

$211 MX$3,658

$198 MX$3,438

6.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,851 MX$84.1K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

-8.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 MX$810

$35.95 MX$623

30.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.86 MX$691

$40.06 MX$694

-0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 MX$1,729

$78.8 MX$1,365

26.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 MX$1,438

$86.5 MX$1,499

-4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 MX$6,396

$977 MX$16.9K

-62.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 MX$5,604

$471 MX$8,158

-31.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$904 MX$15.7K

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-43.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 MX$13.6K

$1,215 MX$21.1K

-35.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$941 MX$16.3K

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-76.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$625 MX$10.8K

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-90.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$690 MX$12.0K

$714 MX$12.4K

-3.38%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $369 in Cuernavaca and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38 in Cuernavaca vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $252 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 3% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $369 in Cuernavaca versus $977 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 $38.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $985 in Cuernavaca versus $1,261 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 28% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.