Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Castel

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,391 in Castel, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Castel outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Castel

🇬🇬 Guernsey

$2,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Castel

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Castel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,391 in Castel, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Castel $2,391

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,843 in Castel, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Castel $3,843

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,295 in Castel, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Castel $5,295

Playa del Carmen is about 50% cheaper than Castel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Castel is 76% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$39.87 GGP 29.78

-72.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$80.0 GGP 59.8

-45.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$5.08 GGP 3.80

-25.00%

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

$3.36 GGP 2.51

-61.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

$3.93 GGP 2.93

-80.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

$4.28 GGP 3.19

-25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$6.48 GGP 4.84

-23.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$2.06 GGP 1.54

-31.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

$2.22 GGP 1.66

-35.14%

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

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

$23.41 MX$439

$26.64 GGP 19.90

-12.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$65.7 GGP 49.06

-56.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

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

$207 MX$3,871

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$1,971 GGP 1,472

-50.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$1,835 GGP 1,371

-79.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$4,043 GGP 3,020

-57.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$3,782 GGP 2,825

-71.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Castel: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Castel

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Castel

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Castel

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Castel

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Castel

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Castel

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Castel

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,971 in Castel. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $80 in Castel. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $21 in Castel – so Castel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇬🇬 Castel

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

13:55 1:55 PM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

8,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Guernsey Pound GGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 GGP = 1.34 USD

1 GGP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GGP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Guernsey Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GGP (1 GGP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GGP (1 GGP = 1.2 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Castel 7,890 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Castel

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Castel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Castel is pricier by about 99%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,587 in Castel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,971 in Castel.

Interestingly, groceries are about 92% cheaper in Castel – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $80 in Castel. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Castel at $2,391. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Castel it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $2,391 in Castel. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.