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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,139 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,860 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,580 in Centurion.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 14% more expensive than Centurion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Centurion 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.55 R 171

11.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$33.64 R 547

23.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.79 R 77.8

122.13%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.03 R 33.03

73.40%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.02 R 16.59

48.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.81 R 13.13

19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.22 R 36.14

32.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.48 R 40.32

79.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.19 R 19.34

15.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.06 R 17.19

78.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.66 R 26.98

-1.20%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.43 R 39.47

3.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$8.14 R 132

2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.84 R 78.7

72.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.66 R 108

61.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.62 R 26.37

60.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.48 R 24.06

-1.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.62 R 26.26

17.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.64 R 26.71

26.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.34 R 21.75

32.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.45 R 23.59

51.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.09 R 17.79

-4.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.07 R 17.36

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.06 R 49.69

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.17 R 100

67.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.44 R 23.47

18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.72 R 28.00

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$2.18 R 35.50

-76.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$91.0 R 1,479

-70.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.13 R 18.39

188.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.07 R 17.31

132.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$4.04 R 65.7

-19.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.31 R 21.25

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$22.8K R 370.1K

32.94%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$24.3K R 395.1K

-3.63%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$120 R 1,951

-30.98%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$37.25 R 605

-40.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$42.33 R 688

-30.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$41.89 R 681

23.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$0.93 R 15.13

1869.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$7.71 R 125

-34.24%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$209 R 3,392

-3.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,282 R 69.6K

21.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$49.86 R 810

-25.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$32.17 R 523

23.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$86.5 R 1,406

-9.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$88.2 R 1,433

-1.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$319 R 5,179

205.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$329 R 5,352

42.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$527 R 8,567

211.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$803 R 13.1K

52.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$522 R 8,489

655.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$591 R 9,611

998.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$2,129 R 34.6K

-68.82%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Centurion: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $319 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 221% 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 $186 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 14% 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, Centurion earns 221% 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 $319 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 244% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $209 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,139 in Centurion versus $1,297 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 $1,139 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 14% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.