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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,142 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,860 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,577 in Centurion.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than in Centurion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Centurion 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$10.55 R 174

13.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$33.51 R 553

24.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.63 R 76.4

132.18%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.10 R 34.70

66.67%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.98 R 16.25

47.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.80 R 13.26

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.29 R 37.74

28.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.48 R 40.96

81.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.19 R 19.65

20.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.03 R 16.97

78.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.64 R 27.13

-4.27%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.51 R 41.36

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$8.27 R 137

0.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.89 R 80.7

72.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$6.70 R 111

59.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.66 R 27.40

57.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.54 R 25.47

-6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.66 R 27.47

18.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.59 R 26.19

31.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.33 R 22.00

39.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.46 R 24.09

48.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.09 R 17.99

-5.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.06 R 17.49

0.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.13 R 51.6

30.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.06 R 100

67.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.44 R 23.81

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.72 R 28.35

47.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$2.22 R 36.65

-77.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$88.7 R 1,464

-70.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.14 R 18.88

183.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.10 R 18.10

119.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.05 R 66.8

-20.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.25 R 20.57

5.60%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$22.5K R 371.6K

31.89%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$23.6K R 388.7K

0.48%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$116 R 1,919

-29.47%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$37.89 R 625

-39.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$41.49 R 685

-27.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$41.87 R 691

24.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$1.02 R 16.84

1716.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.38 R 122

-32.52%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$204 R 3,369

-3.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,328 R 71.4K

23.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$49.82 R 822

-28.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$32.76 R 541

23.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$88.1 R 1,454

-10.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$87.0 R 1,435

2.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$314 R 5,181

201.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$329 R 5,431

44.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$530 R 8,745

210.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$811 R 13.4K

49.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$530 R 8,743

665.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$602 R 9,940

974.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$2,165 R 35.7K

-69.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.69

-2.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Centurion: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $314 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 231% 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 $34.00 in Centurion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $187 per month, with Centurion 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 Centurion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Centurion wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Centurion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 231% lower in Centurion. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $314 in Centurion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Centurion runs roughly 241% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $204 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,142 in Centurion versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Centurion but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Centurion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Centurion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,142 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Centurion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Centurion 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 Centurion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.