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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $371 in Calarasi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $612 in Calarasi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $852 in Calarasi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 258% more than Calarasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Calarasi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Calarasi 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$11.83 MDL 201

10.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$22.90 MDL 389

101.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$7.11 MDL 121

77.07%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$1.44 MDL 24.40

177.78%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.78 MDL 13.25

82.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.45 MDL 7.72

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$1.18 MDL 20.03

158.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$1.50 MDL 25.42

354.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.04 MDL 17.65

64.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.34 MDL 5.71

552.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.05 MDL 34.80

32.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.01 MDL 34.17

-22.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.70 MDL 11.87

188.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.57 MDL 9.68

108.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.18 MDL 20.06

350.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.64 MDL 27.91

-5.49%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$21.4K MDL 363.6K

19.41%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$62.1 MDL 1,054

43.86%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$6.93 MDL 118

236.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$10.65 MDL 181

197.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$3.44 MDL 58.5

47.09%

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

$222 MX$3,765

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$35.28 MDL 599

30.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$35.08 MDL 596

26.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$109 MDL 1,847

-12.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$35.47 MDL 602

160.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Calarasi: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Calarasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $43.00 – making Calarasi 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 Calarasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 258%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $557 in Calarasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 545% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen and $23.00 in Calarasi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calarasi, where all-in costs run around $371, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. In Calarasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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.