Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cazin Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cazin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $860 in Cazin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,261 in Cazin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,662 in Cazin.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 51% more expensive than Cazin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cazin 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.85 BAM 8.17

141.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$23.62 BAM 39.80

76.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.75 BAM 14.73

21.60%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.20 BAM 2.02

193.33%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.86 BAM 3.13

-18.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$1.31 BAM 2.21

-25.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.66 BAM 2.79

77.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.40 BAM 4.04

85.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.26 BAM 2.13

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.14 BAM 1.91

65.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$2.15 BAM 3.61

-23.72%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.14 BAM 3.61

17.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$10.53 BAM 17.74

-20.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$7.42 BAM 12.50

12.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$13.12 BAM 22.10

-18.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.54 BAM 2.59

68.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.81 BAM 3.05

-19.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.68 BAM 2.83

13.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.76 BAM 2.96

18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.13 BAM 1.91

57.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.16 BAM 1.96

88.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.21 BAM 2.05

-14.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.80 BAM 1.36

35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.57 BAM 6.02

14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$8.32 BAM 14.01

24.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.10 BAM 1.85

55.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.11 BAM 1.86

132.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$1.80 BAM 3.03

-71.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$36.39 BAM 61.3

-27.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.49 BAM 2.50

118.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.84 BAM 1.41

196.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$8.97 BAM 15.12

-63.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.50 BAM 2.53

-12.67%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$24.4K BAM 41.1K

24.25%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$26.0K BAM 43.8K

-9.78%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$117 BAM 196

-28.90%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$18.90 BAM 31.84

17.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$29.71 BAM 50.1

-1.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$25.27 BAM 42.57

104.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$10.86 BAM 18.29

68.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$4.44 BAM 7.48

14.19%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$252 BAM 424

-20.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$3,348 BAM 5,641

55.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$41.88 BAM 70.6

-11.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$29.03 BAM 48.92

37.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$49.48 BAM 83.4

58.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$79.3 BAM 134

9.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$240 BAM 404

305.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$180 BAM 303

160.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$372 BAM 627

341.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$283 BAM 477

331.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,314 BAM 2,213

200.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,176 BAM 1,982

452.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$730 BAM 1,229

-9.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.8

200.53%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cazin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $240 in Cazin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cazin pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Cazin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $228 per month, with Cazin 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 Cazin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Cazin differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $860 including rent). Cazin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cazin earns 10% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $240 in Cazin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cazin – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $860 in Cazin – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $860 in Cazin versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cazin but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cazin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cazin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cazin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.