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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,123 in Cesis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,866 in Cesis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,609 in Cesis.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 13% more expensive than in Cesis, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Cesis 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$17.03 €14.84

-31.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$70.1 €61.0

-32.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$9.70 €8.45

22.47%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.77 €3.29

5.57%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.66 €1.45

-13.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$1.19 €1.04

-31.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$5.69 €4.95

-43.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.75 €4.14

42.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.16 €1.01

44.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.54 €1.34

42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.51 €2.19

-31.87%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.75 €2.40

-0.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$10.73 €9.35

-10.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.64 €7.53

4.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$14.68 €12.79

-12.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.28 €1.98

26.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.91 €1.67

-21.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.38 €2.08

-9.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$3.07 €2.67

-26.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.89 €0.77

122.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.99 €0.87

101.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.84 €1.61

-33.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.01 €0.88

18.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$7.06 €6.15

-35.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.07 €7.03

28.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.78 €1.55

-8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.05 €1.79

40.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.51 €3.06

53.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.05 €0.92

255.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$18.13 €15.80

-68.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$2.01 €1.75

-23.38%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$27.6K €24.1K

-18.40%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$31.4K €27.4K

-17.10%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$375 €327

-75.62%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$21.53 €18.75

17.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$20.30 €17.68

53.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$11.28 €9.83

-56.91%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$661 €576

-66.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$18.1K €15.7K

-76.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$71.1 €61.9

-33.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$51.2 €44.57

-13.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$88.4 €77.1

-9.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$140 €122

-33.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$287 €250

343.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,930 €1,682

-60.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.4

377.08%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Cesis: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Cesis pays 155% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $70.0 in Cesis. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $268, with Cesis cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cesis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cesis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 155% lower in Cesis. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $661 in Cesis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cesis – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,123 in Cesis versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cesis but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cesis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cesis is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cesis 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 Cesis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.