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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $796 in Cam Pha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,257 in Cam Pha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,719 in Cam Pha.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 59% more expensive than in Cam Pha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Cam Pha 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.03 ₫52.8K

471.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$21.45 ₫558.1K

119.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.24 ₫110.4K

180.19%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.84 ₫47.8K

116.30%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.49 ₫12.8K

191.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.30 ₫7,851

173.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.12 ₫29.2K

184.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.97 ₫51.2K

244.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.55 ₫40.2K

8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.96 ₫25.0K

129.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.81 ₫21.1K

111.11%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.42 ₫36.9K

92.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.35 ₫269.4K

-7.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.79 ₫98.6K

137.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.62 ₫250.2K

33.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$3.12 ₫81.1K

-7.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.11 ₫28.8K

35.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.38 ₫36.0K

55.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.10 ₫28.7K

105.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.97 ₫25.3K

104.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.08 ₫28.2K

84.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.59 ₫15.5K

108.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.51 ₫13.3K

135.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$1.37 ₫35.7K

232.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$12.32 ₫320.6K

-15.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$0.89 ₫23.2K

82.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.67 ₫43.4K

72.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.35 ₫8,979

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$6.62 ₫172.1K

335.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.81 ₫21.0K

565.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.56 ₫14.7K

566.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$2.25 ₫58.6K

156.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.84 ₫21.7K

83.33%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$30.7K ₫797.9M

-26.47%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$30.4K ₫791.7M

-14.36%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$83.9 ₫2.2M

8.93%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$4.95 ₫128.7K

409.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$9.01 ₫234.4K

246.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$22.39 ₫582.4K

200.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$7.63 ₫198.6K

281.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$4.14 ₫107.8K

17.39%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$160 ₫4.2M

39.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$27.7K ₫719.5M

-84.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$50.2 ₫1.3M

-6.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$26.43 ₫687.8K

67.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$82.9 ₫2.2M

-3.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$84.3 ₫2.2M

9.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$416 ₫10.8M

155.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$280 ₫7.3M

39.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$762 ₫19.8M

182.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$607 ₫15.8M

109.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,821 ₫73.4M

41.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,316 ₫34.2M

394.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.45

35.50%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Cam Pha: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $416 in Cam Pha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Cam Pha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $192 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 59% 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 $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,194 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $416 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 335% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $160 in Cam Pha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $796 in Cam Pha versus $1,266 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 $796 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 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.