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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $649 in Cahul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $953 in Cahul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,258 in Cahul.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 101% more expensive than in Cahul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cahul 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$8.89 MDL 153

34.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$23.72 MDL 407

99.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$10.81 MDL 186

8.70%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$1.69 MDL 29.04

143.79%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$1.15 MDL 19.66

21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.56 MDL 9.66

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$2.00 MDL 34.25

60.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.90 MDL 32.59

272.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$1.32 MDL 22.62

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$0.47 MDL 8.04

357.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$1.64 MDL 28.21

7.93%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$2.25 MDL 38.65

25.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$7.04 MDL 121

30.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.76 MDL 81.7

93.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$6.56 MDL 113

92.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.02 MDL 17.47

189.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$2.38 MDL 40.90

-33.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$1.93 MDL 33.04

15.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$2.45 MDL 42.11

-3.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$0.79 MDL 13.60

151.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$0.54 MDL 9.24

266.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$0.44 MDL 7.55

181.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$0.55 MDL 9.47

120.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$3.38 MDL 58.0

36.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$4.60 MDL 79.0

128.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$1.43 MDL 24.55

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$2.01 MDL 34.48

37.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$2.88 MDL 49.41

81.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$0.25 MDL 4.28

1360.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$5.88 MDL 101

-1.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.54 MDL 26.35

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$34.3K MDL 588.8K

-33.55%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$25.6K MDL 438.7K

0.98%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$236 MDL 4,050

-61.59%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$8.07 MDL 139

212.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$11.47 MDL 197

176.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$7.73 MDL 133

-37.13%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$116 MDL 1,998

93.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$5,457 MDL 93.6K

-23.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$47.16 MDL 809

0.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$57.1 MDL 980

40.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$52.5 MDL 901

74.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$528 MDL 9,054

46.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

43.12%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cahul: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 47% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Cahul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $170 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 101% 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 47% 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 64% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $649 in Cahul – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $649 in Cahul versus $1,305 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 $649 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 101% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.