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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $928 in Cafayate, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,504 in Cafayate, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,080 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

$11.87 MX$204

$6.89 ARS 9,848

72.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$32.13 ARS 45.9K

33.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.00 ARS 12.9K

18.33%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.79 ARS 3,991

23.66%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.53 ARS 2,191

-1.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.84 ARS 1,200

13.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.06 ARS 2,942

47.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.04 ARS 4,338

51.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.29 ARS 1,843

6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.56 ARS 2,228

18.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.94 ARS 2,768

-17.01%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.18 ARS 3,116

18.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.21 ARS 14.6K

-19.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.08 ARS 8,685

37.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.33 ARS 13.3K

14.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.96 ARS 2,793

34.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.09 ARS 2,985

-28.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.33 ARS 1,896

44.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.57 ARS 3,669

-18.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.14 ARS 1,634

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.20 ARS 1,711

88.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.27 ARS 1,813

-16.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.48 ARS 2,114

-26.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.20 ARS 4,565

29.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.41 ARS 7,727

92.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.08 ARS 2,965

-17.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.15 ARS 4,503

-17.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.82 ARS 1,174

-34.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.53 ARS 2,191

104.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.85 ARS 1,219

195.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.08 ARS 8,684

-48.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.06 ARS 1,508

19.81%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$27.0K ARS 38.6M

12.48%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$30.9K ARS 44.2M

-23.78%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$65.8 ARS 94.0K

26.12%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$16.89 ARS 24.1K

34.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$22.45 ARS 32.1K

31.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$26.49 ARS 37.8K

92.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$13.69 ARS 19.6K

33.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.05 ARS 8,640

-18.51%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$216 ARS 309.2K

-8.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,654 ARS 3.8M

98.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$73.1 ARS 104.5K

-49.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$69.7 ARS 99.5K

-42.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$116 ARS 165.3K

-30.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$113 ARS 161.9K

-21.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$339 ARS 484.0K

182.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$240 ARS 342.5K

98.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$669 ARS 955.1K

146.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$527 ARS 753.4K

132.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,837 ARS 2.6M

113.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cafayate: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $339 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Cafayate. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $231 – 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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $928 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,392 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 $43.00 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 8% 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 $928, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $928 in Cafayate to $1,271 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.