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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $687 in Calarasi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,079 in Calarasi, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,470 in Calarasi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 85% more than Calarasi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Calarasi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Calarasi 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.69 MDL 150

36.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$36.05 MDL 623

19.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.53 MDL 130

41.43%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.89 MDL 32.65

82.54%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.90 MDL 15.59

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.65 MDL 11.15

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.77 MDL 30.56

71.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.40 MDL 41.52

92.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.24 MDL 21.44

11.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.56 MDL 9.62

230.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.51 MDL 26.01

6.62%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.48 MDL 42.89

4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.48 MDL 181

-21.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.54 MDL 95.7

51.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.82 MDL 152

20.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.91 MDL 15.69

189.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.83 MDL 31.63

-18.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.70 MDL 29.35

12.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.15 MDL 37.19

-2.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.81 MDL 14.07

129.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.58 MDL 10.06

289.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.30 MDL 22.44

-18.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.87 MDL 15.09

25.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.31 MDL 57.1

25.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.28 MDL 22.04

34.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.01 MDL 34.65

29.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.99 MDL 34.43

57.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.27 MDL 4.67

829.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.11 MDL 88.3

-38.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.36 MDL 23.56

-6.62%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.3K MDL 558.2K

-6.03%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.4K MDL 542.2K

-24.94%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$169 MDL 2,919

-50.90%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$7.73 MDL 134

193.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$10.87 MDL 188

171.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.52 MDL 130

-34.44%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$392 MDL 6,771

-49.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,618 MDL 131.6K

-30.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$66.5 MDL 1,149

-44.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$54.6 MDL 942

-26.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$111 MDL 1,910

-27.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$124 MDL 2,149

-28.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Calarasi: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.00 in Calarasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $182 – 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 85%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,031 in Calarasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $687 in Calarasi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $392 in Calarasi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calarasi, where all-in costs run around $687, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.