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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,205 in Cayo Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,658 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,110 in Cayo Coco.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than in Cayo Coco, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cayo Coco 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.85 CUP 116

141.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$14.73 CUP 353

184.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.07 CUP 170

48.66%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.02 CUP 24.39

251.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$2.05 CUP 49.17

-26.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.99 CUP 23.67

-7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.03 CUP 48.78

45.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.95 CUP 70.8

49.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$3.01 CUP 72.3

-53.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.97 CUP 23.30

93.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.01 CUP 48.32

-22.39%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$3.50 CUP 83.9

-25.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$6.06 CUP 145

37.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.88 CUP 117

71.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.18 CUP 244

6.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$5.10 CUP 122

-46.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.02 CUP 24.46

48.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.97 CUP 23.31

92.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.97 CUP 23.38

125.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.97 CUP 23.35

91.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.98 CUP 71.5

-25.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.02 CUP 24.59

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.03 CUP 24.64

5.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.91 CUP 69.9

43.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$9.97 CUP 239

4.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.95 CUP 46.80

-14.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.05 CUP 49.16

27.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$19.73 CUP 474

32.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.03 CUP 24.67

199.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.02 CUP 24.42

135.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$20.03 CUP 481

-84.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.97 CUP 23.32

35.05%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$70.6K CUP 1.7M

-57.79%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$81.1K CUP 1.9M

-71.23%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$40.57 CUP 974

100.35%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$40.77 CUP 978

-44.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$219 CUP 5,267

-86.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$39.94 CUP 959

32.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$9.89 CUP 237

85.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$0.98 CUP 23.54

402.04%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$91.1 CUP 2,187

120.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$14.9K CUP 357.8K

-65.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$39.55 CUP 949

-9.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$30.45 CUP 731

31.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$75.0 CUP 1,799

6.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$81.5 CUP 1,956

6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$393 CUP 9,437

148.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$431 CUP 10.3K

9.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,049 CUP 25.2K

57.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$617 CUP 14.8K

95.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$304 CUP 7,297

1200.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$348 CUP 8,351

1798.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$20.02 CUP 481

3279.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $393 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3280% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $15.00 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $234 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 5% 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 3280% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $393 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 33% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $91.1 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,205 in Cayo Coco versus $1,260 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 $1,205 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 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.