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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $917 in Cafayate, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,499 in Cafayate, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,082 in Cafayate, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 37% more than Cafayate, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cafayate are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cafayate 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.91 ARS 10.3K

69.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$32.38 ARS 48.1K

29.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.98 ARS 13.3K

17.04%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.71 ARS 4,017

32.47%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.53 ARS 2,271

-1.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.79 ARS 1,169

16.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.06 ARS 3,053

43.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.98 ARS 4,422

47.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.31 ARS 1,947

6.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.56 ARS 2,311

20.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.05 ARS 3,040

-23.90%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.16 ARS 3,215

20.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.98 ARS 14.8K

-16.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.28 ARS 9,327

32.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.15 ARS 13.6K

18.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.95 ARS 2,892

38.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.15 ARS 3,188

-29.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.27 ARS 1,891

47.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.59 ARS 3,853

-15.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.13 ARS 1,684

64.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.24 ARS 1,848

79.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.31 ARS 1,952

-18.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.43 ARS 2,126

-23.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.19 ARS 4,740

31.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$4.96 ARS 7,365

110.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.09 ARS 3,098

-20.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.17 ARS 4,703

-17.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.84 ARS 1,243

-35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.47 ARS 2,187

109.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.92 ARS 1,372

160.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.02 ARS 8,934

-48.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.05 ARS 1,556

24.76%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$27.4K ARS 40.6M

8.91%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$30.6K ARS 45.5M

-23.84%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$68.0 ARS 101.0K

19.53%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$17.29 ARS 25.7K

30.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$22.57 ARS 33.5K

33.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$26.23 ARS 39.0K

101.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$13.92 ARS 20.7K

32.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.24 ARS 9,266

-21.15%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$217 ARS 322.3K

-7.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$2,667 ARS 4.0M

94.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$73.8 ARS 109.6K

-51.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$70.4 ARS 104.6K

-43.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$117 ARS 173.1K

-31.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$114 ARS 168.8K

-23.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$333 ARS 494.0K

193.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$239 ARS 355.2K

96.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$689 ARS 1.0M

139.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$533 ARS 791.5K

125.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,616 ARS 3.9M

51.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,564 ARS 2.3M

322.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

58.5

-80.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cafayate: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $333 in Cafayate. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Cafayate. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $230 – making Cafayate 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $917 in Cafayate – roughly 37% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,375 in Cafayate. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cafayate, 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $32.00 in Cafayate. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cafayate, where all-in costs run around $917, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Cafayate it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $917 in Cafayate to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cafayate. 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.