Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Caye Caulker

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,895 in Caye Caulker, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Caye Caulker
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Caye Caulker Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Caye Caulker

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Caye Caulker

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 Caye Caulker actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,895 in Caye Caulker, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Caye Caulker $1,895

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,731 in Caye Caulker, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Caye Caulker $2,731

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,567 in Caye Caulker, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Caye Caulker $3,567

Playa del Carmen is about 36% cheaper than Caye Caulker, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Caye Caulker is 40% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$8.34 BZD 16.69

30.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$32.40 BZD 64.8

36.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$7.31 BZD 14.63

60.88%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$4.07 BZD 8.13

-9.58%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.46 BZD 2.93

-8.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.70 BZD 3.41

-51.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$2.99 BZD 5.98

2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$4.38 BZD 8.77

12.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.96 BZD 5.92

-50.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.79 BZD 3.57

24.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$4.37 BZD 8.74

-66.13%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$4.09 BZD 8.18

-39.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$11.00 BZD 22.00

-31.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$7.69 BZD 15.39

3.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$13.34 BZD 26.68

-5.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$8.28 BZD 16.57

-66.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.08 BZD 2.16

32.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.39 BZD 2.79

88.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$2.90 BZD 5.80

-26.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$5.41 BZD 10.82

-62.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$4.51 BZD 9.02

-55.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$3.21 BZD 6.42

-64.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.80 BZD 3.59

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$4.44 BZD 8.88

-4.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$22.29 BZD 44.58

-55.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$2.25 BZD 4.50

-31.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.47 BZD 4.94

7.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$5.11 BZD 10.23

-89.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$22.36 BZD 44.73

23.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$3.47 BZD 6.94

41.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$3.07 BZD 6.15

11.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$4.85 BZD 9.71

10.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$3.09 BZD 6.17

-53.07%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$10.6K BZD 21.1K

100.41%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$21.2K BZD 42.4K

8.70%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$204 BZD 407

-58.07%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$35.62 BZD 71.3

-34.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$75.4 BZD 151

-62.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$34.93 BZD 69.9

78.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$13.74 BZD 27.47

108.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$11.89 BZD 23.78

-57.11%

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$74.9 BZD 150

-40.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$60.6 BZD 121

-31.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$152 BZD 305

-52.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$49.27 BZD 98.6

81.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,018 BZD 2,037

-3.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$754 BZD 1,507

-50.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$776 BZD 1,552

116.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$1,244 BZD 2,489

-11.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$2,001 BZD 4,004

-63.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Caye Caulker: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Caye Caulker

$754 39.8% 102% $381

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Caye Caulker

$381 20.1% 47.5% $123

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Caye Caulker

$174 9.2% 13.2% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Caye Caulker

$315 16.6% 129% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Caye Caulker

$152 8% 35.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Caye Caulker

$59 3.1% 18.9% $14

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Caye Caulker

$62 3.3% 19.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,018 in Caye Caulker. 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 171% higher in Caye Caulker, 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Caye Caulker. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Playa del Carmen vs $381 in Caye Caulker – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇿 Caye Caulker

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

06:43 6:43 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,729

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BZD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.25 BZD (1 BZD = 0.445 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Playa del Carmen Caye Caulker 340 km

From you

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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 Caye Caulker: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caye Caulker costs about 57% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,843 in Caye Caulker. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,895 in Caye Caulker. That's a gap of about 57%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen and $32.00 in Caye Caulker. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Caye Caulker at $1,895. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caye Caulker it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $1,895 in Caye Caulker. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Caye Caulker makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.