Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cam Pha Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cam Pha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $752 in Cam Pha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,156 in Cam Pha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,561 in Cam Pha.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 69% more expensive than Cam Pha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cam Pha 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.87 ₫49.2K

534.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$27.04 ₫709.9K

58.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.25 ₫111.7K

150.59%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.87 ₫49.1K

84.49%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.45 ₫11.8K

233.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.27 ₫7,150

251.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$0.92 ₫24.2K

229.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.89 ₫49.7K

143.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.37 ₫36.1K

0.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.99 ₫25.9K

86.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.84 ₫22.2K

91.67%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.49 ₫39.1K

73.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.07 ₫238.2K

-8.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.90 ₫102.3K

114.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.60 ₫252.0K

11.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.37 ₫88.4K

-21.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.07 ₫28.1K

39.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.56 ₫41.1K

23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.07 ₫28.1K

95.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.02 ₫26.7K

82.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.00 ₫26.4K

126.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.53 ₫13.8K

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.53 ₫13.8K

105.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.31 ₫34.5K

216.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$13.06 ₫342.7K

-20.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.94 ₫24.8K

82.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.77 ₫46.5K

47.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.34 ₫9,053

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$6.64 ₫174.3K

305.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.76 ₫19.9K

311.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.61 ₫15.9K

311.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$1.67 ₫43.8K

88.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.83 ₫21.7K

53.01%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$38.1K ₫999.2M

-20.21%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$32.2K ₫846.4M

-26.91%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$80.2 ₫2.1M

3.50%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$5.19 ₫136.1K

337.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$8.85 ₫232.3K

232.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$21.56 ₫566.0K

136.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$7.45 ₫195.7K

146.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.77 ₫99.1K

30.77%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$265 ₫7.0M

-25.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$11.8K ₫308.9M

-55.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$45.19 ₫1.2M

-18.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$22.95 ₫602.5K

73.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$90.0 ₫2.4M

-11.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$72.6 ₫1.9M

23.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$354 ₫9.3M

170.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$250 ₫6.6M

90.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$681 ₫17.9M

141.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$460 ₫12.1M

166.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$4,381 ₫115.0M

-10.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,591 ₫41.8M

306.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.1

25.49%

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 Cam Pha: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $354 in Cam Pha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Cam Pha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $191 per month, with Cam Pha 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 Cam Pha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cam Pha wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cam Pha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,127 in Cam Pha to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $354 in Cam Pha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cam Pha runs roughly 306% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $265 in Cam Pha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $752 in Cam Pha versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cam Pha but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cam Pha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cam Pha delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $752 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cam Pha hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cam Pha 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 Cam Pha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.