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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $885 in Catanduva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,396 in Catanduva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,906 in Catanduva.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 50% more expensive than in Catanduva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Catanduva 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$9.30 R$48.27

40.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$34.22 R$178

35.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$8.27 R$42.93

52.24%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.19 R$11.36

82.65%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.28 R$6.66

10.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.83 R$4.33

-2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$2.26 R$11.75

34.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$3.38 R$17.55

101.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.07 R$5.54

59.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.93 R$10.05

15.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.32 R$6.88

30.30%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$1.93 R$10.04

40.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$11.28 R$58.6

-16.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$4.69 R$24.36

88.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$10.08 R$52.3

26.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.33 R$12.10

34.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.38 R$7.15

12.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.52 R$7.91

41.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$0.74 R$3.83

217.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.92 R$4.77

119.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.00 R$5.17

99.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.90 R$4.68

37.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.86 R$4.49

38.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$2.34 R$12.15

98.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$8.07 R$41.89

29.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.48 R$7.70

6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.51 R$13.02

16.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.93 R$4.83

-39.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$42.91 R$223

-30.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.12 R$5.80

375.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.73 R$3.80

409.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$8.28 R$43.02

-30.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.12 R$5.80

38.39%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$22.8K R$118.5K

-1.98%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$30.7K R$159.4K

-16.68%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$63.2 R$328

41.24%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$6.92 R$35.93

236.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$17.58 R$91.3

80.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$25.17 R$131

173.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$23.09 R$120

27.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$6.83 R$35.48

-25.92%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$419 R$2,176

-46.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$9,795 R$50.9K

-56.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$58.0 R$301

-20.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$38.89 R$202

14.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$90.8 R$471

5.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$56.5 R$293

63.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$352 R$1,826

204.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$232 R$1,205

69.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$637 R$3,306

212.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$470 R$2,438

177.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$1,549 R$8,041

160.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,180 R$6,127

461.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

10.81

7.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Catanduva: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $352 in Catanduva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Catanduva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $208 per month, with Catanduva 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 Catanduva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Catanduva differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($1,330 vs $885 including rent). Catanduva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,328 in Catanduva 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $352 in Catanduva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Catanduva – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $885 in Catanduva versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Catanduva but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Catanduva 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 Catanduva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.