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 $1,226 per month in Guadalupe vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,914 per month in Guadalupe vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,603 per month in Guadalupe vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Guadalupe is about 5% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Guadalupe and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Guadalupe 8% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.54 MX$167

$11.94 MX$209

-20.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.94 MX$699

$42.75 MX$748

-6.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$10.59 MX$185

-11.90%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$64.4

$3.62 MX$63.4

1.66%

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

$0.91 MX$16.01

$1.47 MX$25.69

-38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$13.58

$0.94 MX$16.51

-17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 MX$36.49

$3.09 MX$54.1

-32.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 MX$72.1

$4.46 MX$78.0

-7.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$29.08

$1.43 MX$24.94

16.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 MX$45.37

$1.88 MX$32.97

37.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.68

$1.63 MX$28.50

14.72%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$46.68

$2.64 MX$46.26

1.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.21 MX$144

23.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.75 MX$153

$8.29 MX$145

5.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 MX$242

$11.10 MX$194

24.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MX$55.9

$2.65 MX$46.40

20.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.52

$1.50 MX$26.26

-2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.26

$1.99 MX$34.79

1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 MX$36.94

$2.08 MX$36.33

1.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.53

$1.79 MX$31.29

29.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 MX$42.48

$2.18 MX$38.09

11.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$26.51

$1.08 MX$18.84

39.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.44

$1.04 MX$18.15

6.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.4

$3.97 MX$69.5

7.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 MX$206

$10.20 MX$179

15.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.03

$1.73 MX$30.22

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 MX$56.0

$2.50 MX$43.71

28.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.76

$0.52 MX$9.07

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$3.14 MX$55.0

-48.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 MX$17.60

$2.40 MX$42.04

-57.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.47 MX$183

$3.09 MX$54.0

238.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.35

$1.27 MX$22.28

4.72%

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

$26.1K MX$457.4K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-15.36%

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

$26.0K MX$454.9K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

11.49%

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

$121 MX$2,112

$82.0 MX$1,435

47.18%

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

$27.84 MX$487

$22.45 MX$393

24.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.25 MX$512

$29.66 MX$519

-1.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.54 MX$640

$51.9 MX$908

-29.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 MX$281

$18.67 MX$327

-14.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 MX$83.1

$4.97 MX$87.0

-4.43%

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

$338 MX$5,914

$198 MX$3,462

70.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,799 MX$154.0K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

66.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 MX$1,031

$36.34 MX$636

62.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 MX$735

$40.05 MX$701

4.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,857

$79.9 MX$1,398

32.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,258

$88.9 MX$1,555

45.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 MX$8,787

$963 MX$16.9K

-47.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 MX$7,044

$465 MX$8,133

-13.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.6K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-40.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 MX$13.2K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-37.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,288 MX$40.0K

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-41.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,322 MX$23.1K

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-79.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.42

1.14%

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

Last update for Guadalupe: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $502 in Guadalupe versus $963 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 $40.00 in Guadalupe versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $290 in Guadalupe vs $251 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,839 per month in Guadalupe and $1,930 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 $40.00 in Guadalupe and $43.00 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 16% 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 $1,226, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.