Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cauayan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cauayan City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $725 in Cauayan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,099 in Cauayan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,473 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 80% more than Cauayan City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cauayan City are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cauayan City 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.89 ₱244

207.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$16.58 ₱1,039

185.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$2.89 ₱181

306.57%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.84 ₱115

123.91%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.60 ₱37.82

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.34 ₱21.40

167.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$0.98 ₱61.3

227.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.59 ₱99.5

344.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.63 ₱102

3.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.17 ₱73.3

83.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$0.98 ₱61.3

80.61%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.12 ₱133

33.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.07 ₱318

81.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$3.51 ₱220

162.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$8.14 ₱510

55.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.31 ₱145

27.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.54 ₱96.7

2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.32 ₱145

-4.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.07 ₱67.3

120.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.74 ₱109

14.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.74 ₱109

13.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.61 ₱38.42

103.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.53 ₱33.53

128.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.00 ₱188

53.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$8.95 ₱561

17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$0.92 ₱57.9

83.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.00 ₱125

38.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.25 ₱15.63

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$11.35 ₱712

161.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$0.79 ₱49.46

563.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.25 ₱15.70

1360.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$1.95 ₱122

196.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.92 ₱57.8

67.39%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$21.7K ₱1.4M

5.24%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$19.7K ₱1.2M

30.72%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$140 ₱8,755

-35.08%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$10.73 ₱673

134.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$23.29 ₱1,460

36.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$32.52 ₱2,038

111.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$4.90 ₱307

499.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.32 ₱333

-8.65%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$134 ₱8,389

68.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$10.9K ₱682.7K

-61.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$28.78 ₱1,804

64.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$19.30 ₱1,210

125.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$56.6 ₱3,546

41.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$56.6 ₱3,550

61.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$273 ₱17.1K

298.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$170 ₱10.7K

140.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$497 ₱31.1K

296.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$354 ₱22.2K

262.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,645 ₱165.8K

52.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,059 ₱66.4K

533.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.75

69.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cauayan City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $273 in Cauayan City. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $17.00 in Cauayan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $177 – making Cauayan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cauayan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, $725 in Cauayan City – roughly 80% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,087 in Cauayan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cauayan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $134 in Cauayan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cauayan City, where all-in costs run around $725, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Cauayan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen 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 $725 in Cauayan City to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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