Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cayo Coco Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cayo Coco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,245 in Cayo Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,697 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,150 in Cayo Coco.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 2% more expensive than in Cayo Coco, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Cayo Coco 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.92 CUP 118

135.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$15.29 CUP 367

208.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.86 CUP 165

73.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$0.98 CUP 23.48

306.12%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$2.05 CUP 49.25

-30.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.03 CUP 24.61

-20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.98 CUP 47.52

61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.08 CUP 74.0

120.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$3.09 CUP 74.1

-45.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.98 CUP 23.49

124.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.05 CUP 49.18

-16.59%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.62 CUP 86.8

-24.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$5.89 CUP 141

62.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.10 CUP 123

76.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.19 CUP 245

25.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$5.03 CUP 121

-42.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.99 CUP 23.67

51.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.03 CUP 24.70

108.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.99 CUP 23.66

128.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.02 CUP 24.43

94.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.95 CUP 70.8

-32.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.02 CUP 24.59

20.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.01 CUP 24.28

18.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.02 CUP 72.4

50.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.90 CUP 238

4.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$2.03 CUP 48.68

-20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.05 CUP 49.11

40.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$19.98 CUP 480

44.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.98 CUP 23.42

450.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.97 CUP 23.34

284.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$19.67 CUP 472

-70.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.98 CUP 23.60

57.14%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$68.9K CUP 1.7M

-67.28%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$79.7K CUP 1.9M

-67.30%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$40.10 CUP 962

127.88%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$40.25 CUP 966

-37.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$224 CUP 5,371

-86.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$39.52 CUP 948

70.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$9.82 CUP 236

196.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$0.99 CUP 23.70

390.91%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$90.0 CUP 2,160

148.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$14.9K CUP 356.4K

-71.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$40.53 CUP 973

16.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$29.88 CUP 717

48.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$73.5 CUP 1,764

8.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$80.4 CUP 1,929

15.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$394 CUP 9,451

169.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$417 CUP 10.0K

-6.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,050 CUP 25.2K

104.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$631 CUP 15.2K

101.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$305 CUP 7,310

1213.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$356 CUP 8,547

1725.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$19.79 CUP 475

3731.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.50%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $394 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3731% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $15.00 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $236 per month, with Cayo Coco 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 Cayo Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cayo Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3731% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $394 in Cayo Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cayo Coco runs roughly 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $90.0 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,245 in Cayo Coco versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cayo Coco but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cayo Coco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cayo Coco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,245 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cayo Coco hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.