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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,082 in Cambridge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,855 in Cambridge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,627 in Cambridge.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 42% less than in Cambridge, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 9% below, Cambridge is 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$197

$14.02 NZ$24.93

-21.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$806

$66.4 NZ$118

-32.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$214

$8.76 NZ$15.57

36.07%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$68.4

$3.40 NZ$6.05

11.76%

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

$1.31 MX$23.57

$2.00 NZ$3.55

-34.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.39

$1.92 NZ$3.41

-55.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$57.7

$6.01 NZ$10.68

-46.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$90.1

$6.68 NZ$11.87

-25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.20

$1.58 NZ$2.80

-7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$41.81

$2.23 NZ$3.97

4.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.92

$1.81 NZ$3.22

-20.44%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.23

$6.22 NZ$11.05

-60.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$138

$8.64 NZ$15.36

-10.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$142

$9.43 NZ$16.76

-16.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$230

$12.74 NZ$22.65

0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$52.4

$2.55 NZ$4.53

14.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.55

$2.19 NZ$3.90

-35.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.10

$2.91 NZ$5.17

-11.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$38.41

$5.74 NZ$10.20

-62.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.99

$2.15 NZ$3.83

-9.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$34.79

$1.51 NZ$2.69

28.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$20.68

$2.28 NZ$4.05

-49.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$21.94

$1.09 NZ$1.94

11.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$78.6

$25.82 NZ$45.91

-83.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$177

$10.13 NZ$18.02

-2.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$27.63

$3.40 NZ$6.04

-54.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$48.80

$3.81 NZ$6.77

-28.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.43

$2.72 NZ$4.83

-80.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$493

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$88.3

$2.21 NZ$3.93

122.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$63.3

$2.02 NZ$3.58

74.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$102

$32.15 NZ$57.2

-82.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$27.67

$1.67 NZ$2.97

-7.78%

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

$21.2K MX$381.7K

$25.2K NZ$44.8K

-15.69%

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

$24.5K MX$440.0K

$22.2K NZ$39.5K

10.24%

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

$83.6 MX$1,502

$100 NZ$178

-16.52%

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

$24.03 MX$432

$26.80 NZ$47.65

-10.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$527

$50.0 NZ$89.0

-41.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$529

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$91.4

$14.00 NZ$24.88

-63.64%

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

$208 MX$3,732

$665 NZ$1,183

-68.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$72.7K

$19.4K NZ$34.4K

-79.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$801

$62.6 NZ$111

-28.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$756

$37.22 NZ$66.2

13.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,357

$94.6 NZ$168

-20.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,642

$103 NZ$184

-11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$17.7K

$573 NZ$1,019

72.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$6,921

$1,107 NZ$1,967

-65.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$30.8K

$1,197 NZ$2,128

43.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$19.9K

$1,449 NZ$2,577

-23.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$72.2K

$4,500 NZ$8,001

-10.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$112.3K

$3,934 NZ$6,995

58.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.6K

$2,567 NZ$4,564

-70.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

90.83%

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 Cambridge: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Playa del Carmen and $573 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 239% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $66.0 in Cambridge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $324 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 239% lower in Cambridge. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $573 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $208 in Playa del Carmen versus $665 in Cambridge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $66.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,082 in Cambridge, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cambridge, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cambridge 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.