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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $697 in Cahul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,101 in Cahul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,505 in Cahul.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 86% more expensive than Cahul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cahul 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$8.63 MDL 148

35.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$36.47 MDL 627

14.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.53 MDL 129

41.30%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.88 MDL 32.31

87.23%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.98 MDL 16.93

54.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.68 MDL 11.73

42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.78 MDL 30.60

65.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.32 MDL 39.87

91.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.29 MDL 22.13

6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.52 MDL 8.96

263.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.45 MDL 24.88

13.10%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.59 MDL 44.56

-3.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$10.47 MDL 180

-20.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.54 MDL 95.3

50.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.04 MDL 155

18.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$0.90 MDL 15.55

188.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.82 MDL 31.30

-19.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.73 MDL 29.66

9.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.14 MDL 36.73

-2.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.83 MDL 14.20

114.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.59 MDL 10.12

271.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.35 MDL 23.25

-22.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.82 MDL 14.05

31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.15 MDL 54.1

29.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$4.75 MDL 81.7

117.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.26 MDL 21.62

35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.98 MDL 34.10

30.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.08 MDL 35.83

56.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.27 MDL 4.67

822.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$5.21 MDL 89.5

-37.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.41 MDL 24.32

-7.09%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$31.7K MDL 544.5K

-4.41%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$31.3K MDL 538.5K

-25.21%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$173 MDL 2,969

-52.02%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$7.41 MDL 127

199.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$10.80 MDL 186

171.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$7.49 MDL 129

-32.31%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$384 MDL 6,606

-47.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$7,544 MDL 129.7K

-30.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$65.6 MDL 1,128

-43.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$54.5 MDL 937

-26.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$115 MDL 1,972

-31.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$123 MDL 2,113

-29.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$523 MDL 8,999

26.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.24

23.59%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cahul: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 27% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Cahul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $192 per month, with Cahul 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

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

Cahul wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cahul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 27% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $697 in Cahul – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $697 in Cahul versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cahul but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cahul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cahul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $697 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cahul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cahul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cahul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.