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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,166 in Cafayate, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,894 in Cafayate, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,623 in Cafayate, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 9% more than Cafayate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cafayate are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Cafayate 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$15.06 ARS 22.8K

-22.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$56.7 ARS 85.7K

-16.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$12.66 ARS 19.1K

-6.16%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.81 ARS 5,766

4.46%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$2.20 ARS 3,320

-35.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.77 ARS 2,669

-53.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$3.96 ARS 5,987

-19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.09 ARS 6,190

66.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.48 ARS 2,242

13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.36 ARS 3,570

-6.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.03 ARS 3,074

-15.76%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.75 ARS 4,162

-0.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.81 ARS 16.3K

-11.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.26 ARS 9,458

43.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

24.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.45 ARS 3,708

17.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.15 ARS 3,246

-30.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.30 ARS 1,962

65.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.62 ARS 3,962

-13.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.09 ARS 1,654

82.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.22 ARS 4,866

41.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.32 ARS 8,038

94.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.07 ARS 1,623

-43.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.47 ARS 2,226

266.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.16 ARS 1,748

32.76%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$120 ARS 181.6K

-23.93%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$19.49 ARS 29.5K

29.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$26.92 ARS 40.7K

16.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$28.32 ARS 42.8K

137.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$8.19 ARS 12.4K

-40.66%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$306 ARS 463.4K

-27.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$108 ARS 163.7K

-56.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$126 ARS 190.7K

-36.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$112 ARS 168.7K

-16.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$501 ARS 757.9K

111.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$305 ARS 461.5K

27.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,032 ARS 1.6M

108.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$677 ARS 1.0M

87.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Cafayate: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $501 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $57.0 in Cafayate. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $208 in Cafayate – so Cafayate 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 Cafayate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $1,166 in Cafayate – roughly 9% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,748 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $57.0 in Cafayate. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% 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 $1,166, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $1,166 in Cafayate to $1,266 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.