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: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $768 in Catanduva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,256 in Catanduva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,744 in Catanduva.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 64% more expensive than Catanduva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Catanduva 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$7.03 R$34.96

66.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$32.94 R$164

27.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$6.71 R$33.36

54.99%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.79 R$8.88

101.68%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.22 R$6.09

20.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.77 R$3.81

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.83 R$9.12

65.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.76 R$13.71

61.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.03 R$5.12

33.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$1.75 R$8.69

5.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.14 R$5.67

41.23%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$1.84 R$9.14

39.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$10.06 R$50.0

-15.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$4.04 R$20.06

110.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$8.23 R$40.90

33.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.18 R$10.82

25.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.29 R$6.42

16.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.43 R$7.11

37.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$0.74 R$3.68

186.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$0.92 R$4.55

102.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$0.88 R$4.36

146.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.93 R$4.62

15.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.67 R$3.35

56.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$1.85 R$9.18

126.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$8.21 R$40.78

25.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.31 R$6.52

27.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.05 R$10.17

21.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.93 R$4.63

-41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$38.50 R$191

-31.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.16 R$5.75

167.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.63 R$3.12

290.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$7.53 R$37.44

-56.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.07 R$5.33

17.76%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$22.8K R$113.5K

32.08%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$28.8K R$143.4K

-18.73%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$52.0 R$259

61.43%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$6.12 R$30.42

262.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$16.33 R$81.2

81.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$22.10 R$110

138.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$21.82 R$108

-15.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$6.39 R$31.74

-22.54%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$331 R$1,646

-40.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$8,762 R$43.5K

-39.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$54.3 R$270

-33.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$36.28 R$180

10.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$75.8 R$377

3.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$53.2 R$264

62.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$311 R$1,545

214.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$216 R$1,074

117.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$579 R$2,879

175.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$429 R$2,131

183.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,640 R$8,152

145.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,247 R$6,195

427.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.17

2.24%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Catanduva: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $311 in Catanduva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $33 in Catanduva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $186 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 64% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $768 including rent). Catanduva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $1,152 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $311 in Catanduva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% 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 $33.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $768 in Catanduva versus $1,261 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 64% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.