Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Cabos and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Cabos and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,106 in Los Cabos versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,747 in Los Cabos versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,389 in Los Cabos versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Los Cabos costs roughly 13% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Los Cabos 18% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$182

$11.87 MX$204

-10.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.93 MX$668

$42.90 MX$736

-9.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 MX$137

$10.65 MX$183

-25.07%

Cappuccino

$3.38 MX$58.1

$3.45 MX$59.2

-2.03%

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

$1.25 MX$21.40

$1.50 MX$25.81

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.37

$0.95 MX$16.28

-5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 MX$41.91

$3.03 MX$51.9

-19.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$66.8

$4.61 MX$79.1

-15.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.52

$1.38 MX$23.61

7.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$43.63

$1.85 MX$31.70

37.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.86

$1.61 MX$27.65

0.62%

Eggs

$2.30 MX$39.56

$2.59 MX$44.51

-11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MX$140

$8.26 MX$142

-1.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 MX$133

$8.37 MX$144

-7.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$184

$10.66 MX$183

0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$45.55

$2.63 MX$45.12

0.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.55

$1.49 MX$25.53

-4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.92 MX$32.94

-10.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.21

$2.09 MX$35.81

-21.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.10

$1.86 MX$31.88

3.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.17

$2.26 MX$38.81

-14.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.76

$1.06 MX$18.23

14.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.82

$1.09 MX$18.67

-10.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$73.5

$4.15 MX$71.2

3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 MX$187

$10.39 MX$178

4.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.37

$1.72 MX$29.59

-7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 MX$47.75

$2.61 MX$44.85

6.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.51

$0.54 MX$9.30

12.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 MX$43.68

$3.13 MX$53.7

-18.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$27.59

$2.51 MX$43.09

-35.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 MX$140

$3.15 MX$54.1

158.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.87

$1.27 MX$21.88

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

$21.5K MX$368.8K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-29.26%

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

$22.4K MX$384.6K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-4.92%

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

$56.3 MX$966

$83.0 MX$1,425

-32.22%

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

$22.01 MX$378

$22.71 MX$390

-3.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.40 MX$487

$29.46 MX$506

-3.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.36 MX$624

$51.0 MX$875

-28.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 MX$273

$18.33 MX$315

-13.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 MX$77.8

$4.93 MX$84.5

-8.11%

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

$206 MX$3,543

$197 MX$3,386

4.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,530 MX$60.6K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-33.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 MX$917

$36.90 MX$633

44.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.34 MX$675

$39.89 MX$685

-1.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 MX$1,540

$80.0 MX$1,373

12.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 MX$1,339

$89.5 MX$1,536

-12.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 MX$8,790

$956 MX$16.4K

-46.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$6,794

$477 MX$8,189

-17.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-42.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 MX$13.2K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-37.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 MX$33.9K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-49.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 MX$21.8K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-80.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$874 MX$15.0K

$667 MX$11.4K

31.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.42

0.53%

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

Last update for Los Cabos: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $512 in Los Cabos and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Los Cabos vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $250 per month, with Los Cabos 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

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

Los Cabos is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Los Cabos pays 31% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $512 in Los Cabos versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,106 per month in Los Cabos versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,106 in Los Cabos versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Los Cabos 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 Los Cabos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.