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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $726 in Cerquilho, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,158 in Cerquilho, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,589 in Cerquilho, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 79% more than Cerquilho, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cerquilho are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cerquilho 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$6.33 R$32.58

85.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$29.27 R$151

42.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$7.01 R$36.11

51.78%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$1.76 R$9.05

100.00%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$1.31 R$6.76

15.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.88 R$4.51

10.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.11 R$5.72

165.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$2.64 R$13.61

68.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.09 R$5.63

26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.41 R$7.25

34.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$1.26 R$6.47

30.16%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$2.32 R$11.94

8.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$8.07 R$41.57

3.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$1.84 R$9.47

353.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$5.53 R$28.50

94.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.48

$1.83 R$9.43

42.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.75 R$8.99

-16.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.09 R$5.62

74.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$1.52 R$7.82

36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$1.24 R$6.40

43.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$0.52 R$2.65

321.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.78 R$4.04

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.53 R$2.72

103.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$1.25 R$6.41

226.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$8.84 R$45.51

16.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$1.11 R$5.71

54.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.98

$2.62 R$13.50

-1.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.94 R$4.87

-45.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$38.54 R$199

-31.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$0.94 R$4.87

246.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.51

$1.02 R$5.25

144.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$8.72 R$44.94

-62.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.02 R$5.24

28.43%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$22.2K R$114.5K

36.20%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$29.3K R$150.8K

-19.96%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$47.88 R$247

73.08%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$12.39 R$63.8

79.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$14.21 R$73.2

106.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$22.87 R$118

125.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$21.51 R$111

-14.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$5.25 R$27.02

-3.43%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$308 R$1,587

-34.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$6,857 R$35.3K

-24.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$30.58 R$158

20.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$17.87 R$92.1

122.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$53.8 R$277

45.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$72.6 R$374

20.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$313 R$1,613

210.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,169

$218 R$1,122

114.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$585 R$3,014

180.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$424 R$2,183

188.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$1,799 R$9,267

119.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,231 R$6,341

427.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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 Cerquilho: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $313 in Cerquilho. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $29.00 in Cerquilho. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $164 – making Cerquilho the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cerquilho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 79% more than Cerquilho, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,089 in Cerquilho. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cerquilho, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $308 in Cerquilho. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cerquilho, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Cerquilho it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cerquilho costs $726 versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cerquilho. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.