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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,398 in Cadca, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,004 in Cadca, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,609 in Cadca, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 9% cheaper than Cadca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Playa del Carmen sits 5% below the global median, while Cadca is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.50 €8.20

24.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$738

$28.73 €24.78

49.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.35 €8.07

13.90%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.3

$2.69 €2.32

28.25%

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

$1.50 MX$25.88

$2.01 €1.73

-25.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.33

$1.70 €1.47

-44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.1

$2.42 €2.09

25.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.3

$2.16 €1.86

113.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.68

$1.05 €0.91

31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.80

$1.72 €1.49

7.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.73

$2.53 €2.18

-36.36%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.64

$3.48 €3.00

-25.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$15.39 €13.28

-46.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.06 €6.09

18.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$184

$7.93 €6.84

34.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.25

$1.61 €1.38

63.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.61

$1.46 €1.26

2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.04

$2.36 €2.03

-18.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.91

$4.52 €3.90

-53.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.97

$1.41 €1.22

31.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.92

$1.69 €1.46

33.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.29

$1.55 €1.33

-31.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.72

$0.83 €0.71

31.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.4

$6.65 €5.73

-37.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$179

$4.71 €4.06

120.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.68

$1.87 €1.61

-8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.98

$1.91 €1.64

36.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.32

$1.14 €0.98

-52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$464

$28.88 €24.91

-6.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.8

$1.41 €1.21

121.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.21

$1.24 €1.07

102.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.2

$13.98 €12.06

-77.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.95

$1.78 €1.54

-28.65%

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

$30.4K MX$522.8K

$25.3K €21.8K

20.20%

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

$23.6K MX$405.6K

$25.5K €22.0K

-7.62%

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

$83.0 MX$1,429

$240 €207

-65.39%

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

$22.71 MX$391

$28.01 €24.16

-18.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$507

$22.55 €19.45

30.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$878

$41.81 €36.06

21.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$316

$17.53 €15.12

4.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.8

$8.69 €7.50

-43.27%

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

$197 MX$3,396

$456 €393

-56.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.9K

$7,292 €6,290

-27.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$635

$60.7 €52.3

-39.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$687

$31.65 €27.30

26.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,377

$80.3 €69.2

-0.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,540

$101 €86.9

-11.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.5K

$580 €500

64.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,212

$490 €423

-2.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$963 €830

71.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.1K

$754 €650

62.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.4K

$3,483 €3,004

12.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$111.2K

$2,545 €2,195

153.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.5K

$866 €747

-22.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.16

174.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cadca: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $580 in Cadca. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Cadca, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $29.00 in Cadca. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $252 in Cadca – 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

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

Cadca costs about 10% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,097 in Cadca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 7% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $456 in Cadca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Cadca at $1,398. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cadca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,271 versus $1,398 in Cadca. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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