Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cesano Maderno Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cesano Maderno

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,015 in Cesano Maderno, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,082 in Cesano Maderno, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,149 in Cesano Maderno, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 35% cheaper than Cesano Maderno, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 5% below the global median, while Cesano Maderno is 46% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$23.92 €20.62

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$94.4 €81.4

-49.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$14.14 €12.19

-16.90%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.14 €1.85

92.52%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$3.81 €3.28

-63.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.73 €1.49

-47.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$6.86 €5.91

-53.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$6.46 €5.57

9.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.84 €1.58

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$2.92 €2.52

-26.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$3.51 €3.02

-49.57%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$5.14 €4.43

-45.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$23.11 €19.92

-60.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$13.55 €11.68

-31.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$22.98 €19.81

-45.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.07 €2.65

-3.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.49 €2.15

-36.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$3.45 €2.98

-35.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$4.16 €3.59

-43.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$2.46 €2.12

-19.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$2.12 €1.83

-6.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.88 €1.62

-34.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.60 €0.51

101.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$7.72 €6.65

-40.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$9.08 €7.82

15.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.81 €1.56

-6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.59 €1.37

74.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.78 €1.53

-66.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$43.14 €37.19

-31.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$5.68 €4.90

-7.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.69 €1.46

115.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$40.95 €35.30

-85.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$2.13 €1.84

-27.70%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$37.6K €32.4K

-39.34%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$35.8K €30.8K

-27.87%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$256 €221

-64.56%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$11.84 €10.20

112.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$32.56 €28.06

-2.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$57.8 €49.83

18.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$26.00 €22.41

12.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$12.15 €10.47

-60.00%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$722 €622

-68.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$7,440 €6,413

-43.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$109 €93.6

-56.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$53.0 €45.65

-17.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$118 €102

-32.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$166 €143

-44.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$743 €640

46.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$601 €518

-32.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,224 €1,055

61.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$939 €810

36.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$3,094 €2,667

30.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$2,091 €1,802

220.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.17

261.20%

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 Cesano Maderno: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $743 in Cesano Maderno. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $94.0 in Cesano Maderno. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $410 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Cesano Maderno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cesano Maderno costs about 54% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,023 in Cesano Maderno. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $2,015 in Cesano Maderno. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Cesano Maderno at $2,015. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cesano Maderno it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,305 versus $2,015 in Cesano Maderno. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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