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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $739 in Cusco versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,164 in Cusco versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,589 in Cusco versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cusco costs roughly 41% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cusco 45% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.73 PEN 9.24

$11.99 MX$210

-77.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.05 PEN 95.1

$41.78 MX$731

-32.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 PEN 19.11

$10.75 MX$188

-47.53%

Cappuccino

$2.00 PEN 6.78

$3.50 MX$61.1

-42.86%

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

$1.23 PEN 4.16

$1.45 MX$25.33

-15.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 PEN 2.48

$0.88 MX$15.47

-17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 PEN 7.57

$2.95 MX$51.6

-24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 PEN 14.55

$4.51 MX$78.9

-4.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 PEN 4.90

$1.43 MX$25.04

1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 PEN 9.78

$1.84 MX$32.13

56.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 PEN 4.31

$1.57 MX$27.42

-19.11%

Eggs

$3.80 PEN 12.89

$2.51 MX$43.92

51.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.64 PEN 15.74

$8.28 MX$145

-43.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 PEN 16.33

$8.43 MX$147

-42.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 PEN 22.97

$10.68 MX$187

-36.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 PEN 8.31

$2.61 MX$45.62

-6.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 PEN 2.45

$1.44 MX$25.15

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 PEN 4.49

$1.96 MX$34.31

-32.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 PEN 3.00

$2.09 MX$36.62

-57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$1.85 MX$32.37

-45.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 PEN 3.34

$2.17 MX$37.90

-54.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 PEN 2.19

$1.03 MX$18.04

-36.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 PEN 2.36

$1.07 MX$18.78

-34.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 PEN 16.08

$4.10 MX$71.7

15.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 PEN 19.76

$10.17 MX$178

-42.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 PEN 6.45

$1.68 MX$29.29

13.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 PEN 10.71

$2.53 MX$44.17

24.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 PEN 0.99

$0.51 MX$8.90

-43.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 PEN 5.56

$3.23 MX$56.5

-49.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 PEN 5.64

$2.41 MX$42.06

-31.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 PEN 9.46

$3.23 MX$56.5

-13.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 PEN 5.06

$1.32 MX$23.10

12.88%

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

$19.1K PEN 64.8K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

-35.62%

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

$21.9K PEN 74.2K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

-7.51%

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

$33.89 PEN 115

$82.0 MX$1,434

-58.68%

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

$14.14 PEN 47.92

$22.95 MX$401

-38.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.07 PEN 105

$30.11 MX$527

3.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.62 PEN 104

$52.0 MX$909

-41.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 PEN 16.94

$4.98 MX$87.0

0.40%

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

$197 MX$3,452

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.06 PEN 122

$35.60 MX$622

1.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.00 PEN 98.3

$40.33 MX$705

-28.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.9 PEN 210

$78.8 MX$1,377

-21.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.3 PEN 245

$88.9 MX$1,555

-18.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 PEN 1,028

$947 MX$16.6K

-67.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 PEN 838

$474 MX$8,288

-47.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 PEN 1,993

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-64.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 PEN 1,436

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-65.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,891 PEN 13.2K

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-4.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,798 PEN 6,096

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-72.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 PEN 1,448

$654 MX$11.4K

-34.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-3.68%

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

Last update for Cusco: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $303 in Cusco and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 53% 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: $28.00 in Cusco vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $249 per month, with Cusco 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

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

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 53% 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: $303 in Cusco versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cusco – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $739 in Cusco versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cusco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cusco 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 Cusco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.