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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,828 in Carrefour.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,675 in Carrefour.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,523 in Carrefour.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 31% less than in Carrefour, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Carrefour is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$14.81 HTG 1,931

-19.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$89.3 HTG 11.6K

-53.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.17 HTG 935

49.93%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.63 HTG 213

114.72%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.57 HTG 204

-7.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$1.49 HTG 194

-40.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$5.05 HTG 658

-41.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$7.08 HTG 923

-36.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.50 HTG 195

-4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$2.35 HTG 306

-21.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$3.14 HTG 409

-50.00%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.73 HTG 356

-8.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$7.79 HTG 1,016

6.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.97 HTG 778

41.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$11.71 HTG 1,527

-8.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.86 HTG 243

40.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.47 HTG 322

-41.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.93 HTG 122

110.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.36 HTG 307

-11.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$6.22 HTG 811

-70.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.97 HTG 127

123.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.65 HTG 84.2

58.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.02 HTG 133

4.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.02 HTG 525

1.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$11.63 HTG 1,517

-12.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.87 HTG 113

93.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.50 HTG 196

68.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.21 HTG 27.62

142.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$19.74 HTG 2,573

31.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.36 HTG 47.15

797.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.42 HTG 54.4

473.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$19.68 HTG 2,566

-83.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.23 HTG 161

7.32%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$40.7K HTG 5.3M

-27.04%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$45.0K HTG 5.9M

-47.39%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$99.5 HTG 13.0K

-17.61%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$49.62 HTG 6,469

-53.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$167 HTG 21.7K

-81.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$71.3 HTG 9,297

-27.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$20.17 HTG 2,630

-8.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$10.16 HTG 1,325

-50.98%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$98.4 HTG 12.8K

100.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$6,896 HTG 899.1K

-22.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$79.9 HTG 10.4K

-55.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$75.8 HTG 9,886

-46.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$120 HTG 15.6K

-34.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$149 HTG 19.4K

-40.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$868 HTG 113.2K

9.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$714 HTG 93.1K

-33.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,296 HTG 169.0K

26.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$1,087 HTG 141.7K

11.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$775 HTG 101.1K

423.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$610 HTG 79.5K

961.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,409 HTG 183.7K

-53.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-23.87%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Carrefour: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $868 in Carrefour. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 116% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $89.0 in Carrefour for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $256 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 Carrefour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Carrefour differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,828 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 116% lower in Carrefour. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $868 in Carrefour. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $98.4 in Carrefour. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Carrefour. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,828 in Carrefour, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Carrefour. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.