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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,203 per month in Guadalupe vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,995 per month in Guadalupe vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,786 per month in Guadalupe vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Guadalupe is about 5% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Guadalupe and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Guadalupe 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.65 MX$200

$11.60 MX$199

0.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$897

$47.11 MX$809

10.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$182

$11.88 MX$204

-10.86%

Cappuccino

$4.26 MX$73.2

$3.98 MX$68.2

7.04%

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

$1.43 MX$24.52

$1.43 MX$24.49

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.13

$0.82 MX$14.16

29.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 MX$40.22

$3.19 MX$54.7

-26.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 MX$78.0

$6.79 MX$117

-33.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.52

$1.68 MX$28.76

-7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 MX$52.8

$2.20 MX$37.71

39.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.70

$1.71 MX$29.32

14.62%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$43.38

$2.74 MX$47.05

-7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 MX$192

$9.58 MX$164

16.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 MX$152

$9.01 MX$155

-1.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.45 MX$179

$12.81 MX$220

-18.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 MX$48.75

$2.89 MX$49.58

-1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 MX$23.03

$1.50 MX$25.70

-10.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.21

$2.15 MX$36.87

-18.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.59

$2.26 MX$38.79

-5.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 MX$40.93

$1.98 MX$34.00

20.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 MX$47.33

$1.99 MX$34.15

38.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$22.89

$1.23 MX$21.18

8.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.86

$1.20 MX$20.54

-3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 MX$81.7

$4.55 MX$78.1

4.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 MX$184

$10.37 MX$178

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 MX$34.27

$1.62 MX$27.79

23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.73

$2.88 MX$49.44

-43.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MX$11.46

$0.60 MX$10.30

11.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$32.96

$5.39 MX$92.5

-64.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 MX$20.32

$3.73 MX$64.0

-68.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.55 MX$198

$5.77 MX$99.0

100.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$25.97

$1.54 MX$26.37

-1.95%

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

$20.7K MX$355.1K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

-8.25%

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

$25.3K MX$433.8K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

-3.01%

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

$50.7 MX$870

$91.4 MX$1,569

-44.56%

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

$27.75 MX$476

$25.20 MX$433

10.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 MX$554

$31.24 MX$536

3.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.76 MX$631

$67.2 MX$1,154

-45.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.38 MX$333

$29.11 MX$500

-33.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 MX$96.6

$4.86 MX$83.5

15.84%

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

$249 MX$4,273

$224 MX$3,839

11.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,866 MX$83.5K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

15.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 MX$1,059

$47.10 MX$808

31.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.38 MX$779

$44.29 MX$760

2.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 MX$1,588

$80.1 MX$1,375

15.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,221

$92.7 MX$1,591

39.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 MX$9,504

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-47.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 MX$6,036

$390 MX$6,698

-9.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 MX$19.3K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-47.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 MX$14.1K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-35.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,007 MX$34.5K

$4,001 MX$68.7K

-49.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,347 MX$23.1K

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-79.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

11.45

-8.03%

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

Last update for Guadalupe: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $554 in Guadalupe versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Guadalupe versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $276 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 5%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,805 per month in Guadalupe and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guadalupe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Guadalupe and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guadalupe, where all-in costs run around $1,203, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Guadalupe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guadalupe – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Guadalupe. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.