😐A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $682 in Calarasi, rent included.
😐A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,077 in Calarasi, rent included.
😐A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,473 in Calarasi, rent included.
😐Playa del Carmen costs about 89% more than Calarasi, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊Both Playa del Carmen and Calarasi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen4% lower, Calarasi49% lower.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Calarasi
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.94MX$208
$8.81MDL 152
35.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.75MX$744
$36.52MDL 632
17.06%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.59MX$184
$7.43MDL 129
42.53%
Cappuccino
$3.62MX$63.0
$1.79MDL 31.03
102.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47MX$25.54
$0.94MDL 16.23
56.38%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94MX$16.41
$0.66MDL 11.34
42.42%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.09MX$53.8
$1.72MDL 29.74
79.65%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46MX$77.6
$2.32MDL 40.12
92.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Calarasi
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.43MX$24.80
$1.22MDL 21.17
17.21%
White Bread(500g)
$1.88MX$32.79
$0.55MDL 9.55
241.82%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.63MX$28.34
$1.50MDL 25.88
8.67%
Eggs
$2.64MX$45.99
$2.61MDL 45.14
1.15%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.21MX$143
$10.45MDL 181
-21.44%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.29MX$144
$5.32MDL 92.0
55.83%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.10MX$193
$8.87MDL 154
25.14%
Apples(1kg)
$2.65MX$46.14
$0.83MDL 14.36
219.28%
Banana(1kg)
$1.50MX$26.11
$1.77MDL 30.73
-15.25%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.99MX$34.59
$1.70MDL 29.39
17.06%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.08MX$36.13
$2.15MDL 37.20
-3.26%
Potato(1kg)
$1.79MX$31.11
$0.83MDL 14.34
115.66%
Onion(1kg)
$2.18MX$37.87
$0.59MDL 10.30
269.49%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.08MX$18.73
$1.35MDL 23.43
-20.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04MX$18.04
$0.88MDL 15.22
18.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.97MX$69.1
$3.27MDL 56.6
21.41%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.20MX$178
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.73MX$30.04
$1.23MDL 21.23
40.65%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50MX$43.46
$2.00MDL 34.68
25.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Calarasi
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.52MX$9.02
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$26.97MX$469
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.14MX$54.7
$2.03MDL 35.10
54.68%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.40MX$41.80
$0.27MDL 4.72
788.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.09MX$53.7
$5.27MDL 91.3
-41.37%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.27MX$22.16
$1.38MDL 23.80
-7.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9KMX$537.3K
$32.8KMDL 567.2K
-5.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3KMX$405.7K
$30.5KMDL 527.3K
-23.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Calarasi
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$82.0MX$1,427
$173MDL 2,994
-52.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.45MX$391
$7.55MDL 131
197.35%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.66MX$516
$11.01MDL 191
169.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Calarasi
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$51.9MX$903
-
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.67MX$325
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.97MX$86.5
$7.49MDL 130
-33.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Calarasi
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$198MX$3,442
$390MDL 6,749
-49.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,273MX$91.7K
$7,684MDL 133.0K
-31.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Calarasi
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.34MX$632
$66.7MDL 1,154
-45.49%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.05MX$697
$53.4MDL 924
-25.00%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$79.9MX$1,390
$111MDL 1,924
-28.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.9MX$1,547
$125MDL 2,160
-28.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Calarasi
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$963MX$16.8K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$465MX$8,086
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,596MX$27.8K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,209MX$21.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,942MX$68.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$6,448MX$112.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Calarasi
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$720MX$12.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
11.42
9.24
23.59%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026
Última actualización para Calarasi: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Calarasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $181 – making Calarasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Playa del Carmen vs Calarasi: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is Calarasi cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 89%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,023 in Calarasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen vs Calarasi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $682 in Calarasi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $390 in Calarasi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Playa del Carmen or Calarasi?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calarasi, where all-in costs run around $682, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Calarasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Calarasi more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Calarasi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Calarasi. 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.
Playa del Carmen vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado