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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,434 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,285 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,136 in Centurion.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 9% less than in Centurion, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Centurion is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$22.24 R 360

-46.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$41.63 R 673

13.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$6.18 R 100.0

90.13%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$2.73 R 44.19

50.92%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$1.00 R 16.20

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.89 R 14.41

2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$2.25 R 36.43

42.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.51 R 40.69

181.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$1.26 R 20.44

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$1.29 R 20.87

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$2.20 R 35.52

-19.55%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$3.15 R 50.9

-10.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.29 R 166

-10.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.88 R 111

34.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$7.25 R 117

74.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.88 R 30.35

56.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.85 R 29.89

-14.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$2.30 R 37.15

-3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$2.18 R 35.22

8.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$1.65 R 26.77

20.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$1.95 R 31.48

1.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$1.40 R 22.57

-11.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$1.52 R 24.60

-20.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$3.79 R 61.4

21.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$6.37 R 103

65.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$1.63 R 26.38

3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$2.11 R 34.21

31.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$2.46 R 39.84

-75.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

$101 R 1,628

-70.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$1.21 R 19.62

333.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$1.22 R 19.71

199.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$9.14 R 148

-36.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.42 R 22.92

8.45%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$36.6K R 591.6K

-37.65%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$33.6K R 543.4K

-23.14%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$146 R 2,355

-37.70%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$31.61 R 511

-20.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$42.69 R 691

-25.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$45.99 R 744

49.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$11.11 R 180

-56.26%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$319 R 5,164

-29.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$4,504 R 72.9K

-6.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$60.7 R 982

-21.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$45.61 R 738

-4.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$122 R 1,979

-34.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$108 R 1,743

-15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$349 R 5,649

210.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$391 R 6,327

4.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$604 R 9,769

226.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$925 R 15.0K

38.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$543 R 8,783

645.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$638 R 10.3K

951.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$2,456 R 39.7K

-68.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.5

9.05%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Centurion: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $349 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 218% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $42.00 in Centurion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $232 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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Centurion. 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, salaries run 218% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $349 in Centurion. 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 239% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $319 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,434 in Centurion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Centurion. 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 $1,305 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.