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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,752 in Cento.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,714 in Cento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,676 in Cento.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 26% less than in Cento, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Cento is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$20.74 €17.86

-43.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$81.6 €70.3

-49.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$11.03 €9.49

-3.54%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$2.09 €1.80

68.42%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$2.76 €2.38

-45.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$1.42 €1.22

-31.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$5.86 €5.04

-49.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$5.69 €4.90

-21.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$1.59 €1.37

-13.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$2.55 €2.19

-25.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$2.78 €2.40

-41.01%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$4.40 €3.78

-42.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$21.21 €18.26

-60.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$13.37 €11.51

-37.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$17.65 €15.20

-39.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$2.34 €2.01

11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$2.14 €1.84

-31.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$2.02 €1.74

-5.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$3.02 €2.60

-31.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$1.63 €1.40

9.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$1.42 €1.22

54.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$1.72 €1.48

-39.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.54 €0.46

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$7.00 €6.03

-41.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.30 €7.14

24.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$1.68 €1.44

1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$1.89 €1.63

36.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.76 €1.52

-71.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$43.14 €37.14

-38.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$5.88 €5.06

-44.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$1.46 €1.26

70.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$28.81 €24.81

-88.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$2.02 €1.74

-35.15%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$26.0K €22.4K

16.30%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$34.4K €29.6K

-31.88%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$183 €157

-54.67%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$11.55 €9.95

92.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$30.69 €26.42

-4.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$54.3 €46.70

-4.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$22.77 €19.60

-19.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$10.93 €9.41

-53.61%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$654 €563

-69.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$8,089 €6,964

-35.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$90.9 €78.2

-59.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$43.63 €37.56

-8.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$98.9 €85.1

-20.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$170 €146

-48.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$764 €657

27.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$569 €490

-17.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,199 €1,033

36.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$910 €784

34.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$2,807 €2,416

40.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$1,891 €1,628

243.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,849 €1,592

-64.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.17

173.86%

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 Cento: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $764 in Cento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 179% 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 $82.0 in Cento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $351 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Cento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Cento. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Cento earns 179% 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 $764 in Cento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 63% less than in Cento. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $654 in Cento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,752 in Cento, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cento. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,297 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Cento. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.