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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $696 in Cahul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,085 in Cahul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,474 in Cahul.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 81% more expensive than in Cahul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Cahul 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.58 MDL 149

39.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$36.74 MDL 640

13.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.66 MDL 133

40.34%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.82 MDL 31.67

92.31%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.93 MDL 16.28

55.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.64 MDL 11.11

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.73 MDL 30.10

70.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.28 MDL 39.69

97.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.28 MDL 22.30

11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.55 MDL 9.61

234.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.50 MDL 26.04

4.67%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.51 MDL 43.73

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.43 MDL 182

-20.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.50 MDL 95.8

53.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.94 MDL 156

19.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$0.90 MDL 15.70

190.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.74 MDL 30.27

-17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.77 MDL 30.74

10.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.10 MDL 36.56

-0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.77 MDL 13.46

140.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.55 MDL 9.54

294.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.36 MDL 23.65

-24.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.84 MDL 14.66

27.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.28 MDL 57.1

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$4.57 MDL 79.6

122.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.22 MDL 21.28

37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.98 MDL 34.44

27.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.02 MDL 35.24

59.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.27 MDL 4.72

792.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.30 MDL 92.3

-39.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.43 MDL 24.83

-7.69%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$32.2K MDL 560.5K

-7.75%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$31.5K MDL 547.9K

-24.80%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$169 MDL 2,949

-51.57%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$7.74 MDL 135

196.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.68 MDL 186

181.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.58 MDL 132

-34.30%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$394 MDL 6,860

-49.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$7,562 MDL 131.7K

-29.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$65.3 MDL 1,138

-45.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$54.4 MDL 947

-25.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$114 MDL 1,993

-31.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$121 MDL 2,107

-26.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$514 MDL 8,943

27.32%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cahul: July 13, 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 $37.00 in Cahul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $191 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 81% 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.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $696 in Cahul – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $696 in Cahul versus $1,256 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 $696 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 81% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.