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 $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $359 in Calarasi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $582 in Calarasi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $805 in Calarasi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 239% more than Calarasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Calarasi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Calarasi 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$198

$11.24 MDL 200

-2.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$811

$22.36 MDL 397

100.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$216

$7.01 MDL 124

70.04%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$68.8

$1.37 MDL 24.33

177.37%

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

$1.31 MX$23.71

$0.76 MDL 13.48

72.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.48

$0.46 MDL 8.22

86.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$58.0

$1.11 MDL 19.67

189.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$90.6

$1.44 MDL 25.60

247.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.36

$1.03 MDL 18.36

41.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.06

$0.32 MDL 5.75

628.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.07

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.50

$1.94 MDL 34.50

26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$139

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$231

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$52.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.70

$2.01 MDL 35.70

-29.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.37

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$38.63

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.19

$0.67 MDL 11.81

191.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.00

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$20.80

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.07

$0.56 MDL 9.98

117.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$79.1

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$27.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$88.8

$1.14 MDL 20.28

330.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$63.7

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$103

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$27.84

$1.61 MDL 28.56

-4.35%

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

$21.2K MX$383.9K

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

$24.5K MX$442.6K

$20.3K MDL 360.2K

20.73%

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

$83.6 MX$1,511

$60.4 MDL 1,073

38.36%

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

$24.03 MX$434

$6.94 MDL 123

246.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$530

$10.25 MDL 182

186.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,172

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$532

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$91.9

$3.31 MDL 58.8

53.78%

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

$208 MX$3,754

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$805

$34.48 MDL 612

29.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$760

$34.02 MDL 604

23.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,365

$109 MDL 1,944

-31.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,652

$34.27 MDL 609

166.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$17.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$6,962

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$72.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$112.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Calarasi: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Calarasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $42.00 – 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 239%, 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 $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $538 in Calarasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 518% 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen and $22.00 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 $359, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. 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.