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: $1,076 in Cuernavaca versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,819 in Cuernavaca versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,562 in Cuernavaca versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 18% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuernavaca 22% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.69 MX$147

$11.96 MX$203

-27.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.14 MX$698

$47.38 MX$804

-13.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 MX$127

$11.75 MX$199

-36.17%

Cappuccino

$2.67 MX$45.36

$4.12 MX$70.0

-35.19%

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

$1.43 MX$24.22

$1.40 MX$23.74

2.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MX$11.53

$0.91 MX$15.48

-25.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$45.66

$3.21 MX$54.4

-16.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 MX$59.6

$7.07 MX$120

-50.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.35

$1.68 MX$28.44

10.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 MX$42.03

$2.15 MX$36.48

15.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.41

$1.77 MX$30.10

-11.86%

Eggs

$2.18 MX$37.00

$2.82 MX$47.76

-22.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 MX$146

$9.20 MX$156

-6.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 MX$87.8

$9.23 MX$157

-43.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 MX$245

$12.64 MX$214

14.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MX$41.17

$2.95 MX$50.1

-17.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$24.64

$1.58 MX$26.79

-8.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 MX$41.27

$2.22 MX$37.70

9.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.42

$2.36 MX$40.09

-24.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.59

$1.99 MX$33.81

-3.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.77

$1.98 MX$33.58

-5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 MX$27.66

$1.24 MX$21.04

31.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$16.37

$1.21 MX$20.55

-20.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.82 MX$81.8

$4.60 MX$78.1

4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.07 MX$154

$10.52 MX$178

-13.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.68

$1.69 MX$28.70

-20.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 MX$59.4

$2.77 MX$47.06

26.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.60 MX$10.22

-6.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.80 MX$506

$29.70 MX$504

0.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 MX$35.85

$5.24 MX$88.8

-59.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.77 MX$47.00

$3.65 MX$61.9

-24.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.62 MX$197

$5.78 MX$98.1

101.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$24.73

$1.54 MX$26.09

-5.19%

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

$22.6K MX$383.5K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

-0.87%

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

$25.4K MX$431.3K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

-1.50%

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

$64.4 MX$1,092

$90.7 MX$1,538

-29.01%

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

$19.57 MX$332

$25.19 MX$427

-22.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 MX$466

$31.75 MX$539

-13.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.38 MX$481

$68.8 MX$1,167

-58.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 MX$102

$4.86 MX$82.5

23.87%

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

$234 MX$3,966

$226 MX$3,828

3.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,418 MX$91.9K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

29.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.69 MX$741

$47.38 MX$804

-7.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.87 MX$592

$43.45 MX$737

-19.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,717

$80.2 MX$1,361

26.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 MX$1,768

$91.4 MX$1,550

14.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 MX$7,136

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-61.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 MX$6,012

$409 MX$6,933

-13.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$17.1K

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-48.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 MX$14.6K

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-32.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$957 MX$16.2K

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-76.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 MX$11.1K

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-90.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$709 MX$12.0K

$773 MX$13.1K

-8.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.4

11.45

-0.44%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $421 in Cuernavaca and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 9% 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: $41.00 in Cuernavaca vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $278 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $421 in Cuernavaca versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 $41.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Cuernavaca versus $1,305 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 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.