Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Castello de la Plana Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Castello de la Plana

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,537 in Castello de la Plana, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,200 in Castello de la Plana, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,863 in Castello de la Plana, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 18% cheaper than Castello de la Plana, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Playa del Carmen sits 7% below the global median, while Castello de la Plana is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$15.24 €13.29

-23.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$58.9 €51.3

-19.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.96 €6.94

49.25%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.23 €1.94

78.48%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$2.10 €1.83

-31.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.41 €1.23

-41.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$3.37 €2.94

-5.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.49 €3.04

94.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.16 €1.01

44.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.71 €1.49

28.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.74 €1.51

-1.72%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.18 €2.77

-13.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$14.93 €13.02

-35.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.53 €7.43

5.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$15.48 €13.50

-17.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.63 €2.29

9.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.03 €1.77

-26.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.68 €1.47

27.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.50 €2.18

-9.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.78 €1.55

11.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.91 €1.67

4.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.23 €1.07

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.63 €0.55

90.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$6.68 €5.83

-31.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.74 €5.01

80.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.08 €0.94

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.25 €1.96

28.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.37 €1.19

-56.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$18.42 €16.06

56.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$3.15 €2.75

71.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.42 €1.24

162.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$15.07 €13.14

-61.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.74 €1.52

-11.49%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$36.2K €31.5K

-37.67%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$29.7K €25.9K

-12.25%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$121 €106

-24.72%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$13.77 €12.00

83.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$25.94 €22.62

20.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$45.75 €39.88

46.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$8.72 €7.60

-44.27%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$576 €502

-61.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$9,635 €8,399

-56.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$65.2 €56.9

-27.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$22.17 €19.33

99.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$96.5 €84.1

-17.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$109 €95.0

-14.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$752 €655

41.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$663 €578

-41.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,043 €909

105.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$873 €761

45.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,838 €1,602

117.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,443 €1,258

350.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,802 €1,571

-57.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.99

282.94%

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 Castello de la Plana: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $752 in Castello de la Plana. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 138% higher in Castello de la Plana, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $59.0 in Castello de la Plana. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $270 in Castello de la Plana – so Castello de la Plana wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Castello de la Plana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $1,537 in Castello de la Plana – roughly 21% apart. Castello de la Plana costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,305 in Castello de la Plana. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $576 in Castello de la Plana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Castello de la Plana at $1,537. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Castello de la Plana 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen to $1,537 in Castello de la Plana. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Castello de la Plana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.