Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cattolica Eraclea

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,661 in Cattolica Eraclea, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Cattolica Eraclea
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,661
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Cattolica Eraclea

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 Cattolica Eraclea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,661 in Cattolica Eraclea, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Cattolica Eraclea $1,661

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,552 in Cattolica Eraclea, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Cattolica Eraclea $2,552

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,443 in Cattolica Eraclea, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Cattolica Eraclea $3,443

Playa del Carmen is about 27% cheaper than Cattolica Eraclea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 10% below the global median, while Cattolica Eraclea is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Cattolica Eraclea
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$199
$16.67 €14.83
-35.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$795
$55.1 €48.97
-21.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$218
$11.14 €9.91
5.83%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.4
$2.27 €2.02
70.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.29
$2.91 €2.59
-52.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.44
$1.85 €1.65
-54.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.3
$6.50 €5.78
-52.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.6
$4.11 €3.66
23.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Cattolica Eraclea
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.55
$1.28 €1.14
12.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.23
$1.65 €1.47
35.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$2.67 €2.38
-44.94%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.71
$3.40 €3.02
-25.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
$11.08 €9.85
-34.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$145
$11.76 €10.46
-33.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$236
$15.60 €13.88
-18.01%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.6
$2.06 €1.83
40.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.53
$1.68 €1.49
-14.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.07
$1.49 €1.33
71.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.03
$2.98 €2.65
-30.87%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.97
$1.68 €1.49
19.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.07
$1.28 €1.14
57.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$22.02
$1.24 €1.10
-4.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.23
$0.47 €0.41
168.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.4
$6.50 €5.78
-32.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$177
$7.64 €6.79
25.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.41
$1.76 €1.56
-9.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$1.55 €1.38
81.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Cattolica Eraclea
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.47
$1.45 €1.29
-60.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$514
$46.54 €41.40
-40.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$92.1
$6.00 €5.34
-17.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.6
$1.55 €1.38
125.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$99.8
$27.15 €24.15
-80.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.08
$2.13 €1.90
-30.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.8K
$36.2K €32.2K
-42.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.8K
$35.0K €31.2K
-31.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Cattolica Eraclea
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,556
$307 €273
-72.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$443
$10.59 €9.42
126.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$536
$35.35 €31.45
-17.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Cattolica Eraclea
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,164
$58.9 €52.4
6.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$539
$23.34 €20.76
24.85%
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.3
$9.84 €8.75
-49.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Cattolica Eraclea
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,763
$453 €403
-55.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$72.8K
$6,732 €5,988
-41.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Cattolica Eraclea
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$806
$83.2 €74.0
-47.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$797
$32.82 €29.19
31.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,400
$85.8 €76.3
-11.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,637
$124 €110
-28.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Cattolica Eraclea
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.6K
$734 €653
37.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,911
$484 €430
-22.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.6K
$1,020 €907
67.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.4K
$1,001 €890
10.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$72.9K
$2,715 €2,415
45.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$114.0K
$1,743 €1,550
253.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Cattolica Eraclea
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$13.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.55
222.54%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cattolica Eraclea: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Cattolica Eraclea
$484 29.4% $110
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Cattolica Eraclea
$279 7.9% $21
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Cattolica Eraclea
$254 25.5% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Cattolica Eraclea
$353 157% $216
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Cattolica Eraclea
$147 29.8% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Cattolica Eraclea
$79 7.8% $5.7
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Cattolica Eraclea
$66 25.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $734 in Cattolica Eraclea. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $55.0 in Cattolica Eraclea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $279 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇮🇹 Cattolica Eraclea
🕒 Local time
07:34 7:34 AM
14:34 2:34 PM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
3,300
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Cattolica Eraclea 9,500 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Cattolica Eraclea

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 Cattolica Eraclea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cattolica Eraclea cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Cattolica Eraclea is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,492 in Cattolica Eraclea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Cattolica Eraclea?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Cattolica Eraclea, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Cattolica Eraclea?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $55.0 in Cattolica Eraclea. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Cattolica Eraclea?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Cattolica Eraclea at $1,661. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cattolica Eraclea it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Cattolica Eraclea more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or Cattolica Eraclea?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cattolica Eraclea makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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