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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,227 in Cayo Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,697 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,167 in Cayo Coco.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cayo Coco 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$5.11 CUP 123

129.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$14.97 CUP 359

179.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$7.09 CUP 170

46.83%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$0.98 CUP 23.52

268.37%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.98 CUP 47.48

-26.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$1.03 CUP 24.62

-5.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.02 CUP 48.54

44.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.93 CUP 70.3

57.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$3.07 CUP 73.7

-53.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.98 CUP 23.63

93.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.98 CUP 47.44

-20.71%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$3.54 CUP 85.0

-25.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$6.12 CUP 147

37.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$5.10 CUP 122

68.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$10.15 CUP 244

8.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$4.85 CUP 116

-44.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$0.98 CUP 23.47

54.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$0.97 CUP 23.30

96.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$0.98 CUP 23.57

121.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$0.99 CUP 23.69

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$3.07 CUP 73.8

-27.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.02 CUP 24.43

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.02 CUP 24.44

4.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$3.06 CUP 73.4

35.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$9.83 CUP 236

4.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.94 CUP 46.58

-13.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$1.97 CUP 47.21

28.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$19.87 CUP 477

32.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$1.01 CUP 24.33

216.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.01 CUP 24.34

143.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$20.33 CUP 488

-84.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$0.99 CUP 23.71

33.33%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$69.8K CUP 1.7M

-56.80%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$81.5K CUP 2.0M

-71.31%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$39.66 CUP 952

105.12%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$40.34 CUP 968

-44.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$222 CUP 5,340

-86.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$40.72 CUP 977

26.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$10.15 CUP 244

81.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$0.98 CUP 23.44

426.53%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$90.1 CUP 2,163

123.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$14.8K CUP 354.7K

-64.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$40.80 CUP 979

-12.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$29.80 CUP 715

35.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$75.4 CUP 1,808

4.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$81.5 CUP 1,957

6.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$403 CUP 9,675

135.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$422 CUP 10.1K

13.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$1,064 CUP 25.5K

52.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$612 CUP 14.7K

99.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$300 CUP 7,197

1237.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$354 CUP 8,503

1726.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$19.96 CUP 479

3271.39%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $403 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3271% 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 $254 vs $235 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 3271% more on average, 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $403 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 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $90.1 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,227 in Cayo Coco versus $1,294 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 $1,227 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.