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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $804 in Cimislia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,151 in Cimislia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,498 in Cimislia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 51% more expensive than in Cimislia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Cimislia 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$198

$6.59 MDL 117

66.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$811

$22.41 MDL 398

100.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$216

$10.70 MDL 190

11.40%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$68.8

$1.73 MDL 30.64

119.65%

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

$1.31 MX$23.71

$1.11 MDL 19.68

18.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.48

$0.66 MDL 11.78

30.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$58.0

$1.15 MDL 20.35

179.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$90.6

$2.32 MDL 41.15

115.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.36

$1.05 MDL 18.61

39.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.06

$0.38 MDL 6.82

513.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.07

$1.60 MDL 28.33

-10.00%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.50

$2.09 MDL 37.11

17.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$139

$6.85 MDL 122

12.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$143

$3.91 MDL 69.4

101.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$231

$6.30 MDL 112

103.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$52.7

$0.59 MDL 10.40

394.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.70

$2.31 MDL 41.05

-38.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.37

$1.45 MDL 25.78

77.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$38.63

$1.93 MDL 34.21

10.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.19

$0.56 MDL 9.94

248.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.00

$0.49 MDL 8.78

295.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$20.80

$0.43 MDL 7.61

167.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.07

$0.58 MDL 10.32

110.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$79.1

$3.48 MDL 61.9

25.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$178

$4.65 MDL 82.5

111.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$27.79

$1.10 MDL 19.53

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.08

$2.03 MDL 36.07

33.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.49

$0.29 MDL 5.20

79.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$88.8

$2.88 MDL 51.1

70.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$63.7

$0.24 MDL 4.24

1366.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$103

$5.62 MDL 99.9

1.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$27.84

$1.43 MDL 25.35

7.69%

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

$21.2K MX$383.9K

$34.4K MDL 610.9K

-38.26%

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

$24.5K MX$442.6K

$24.5K MDL 434.8K

0.02%

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

$83.6 MX$1,511

$223 MDL 3,968

-62.58%

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

$24.03 MX$434

$7.76 MDL 138

209.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$530

$11.16 MDL 198

162.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,172

$17.25 MDL 306

276.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$532

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$91.9

$7.78 MDL 138

-34.58%

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

$208 MX$3,754

$113 MDL 2,009

83.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.1K

$5,253 MDL 93.3K

-23.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$805

$45.68 MDL 811

-2.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$760

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,365

$56.0 MDL 994

34.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,652

$51.7 MDL 917

76.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$17.8K

$224 MDL 3,982

340.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$6,962

$170 MDL 3,026

126.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.0K

$338 MDL 5,999

407.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.0K

$289 MDL 5,124

284.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$72.6K

$727 MDL 12.9K

452.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$112.9K

$688 MDL 12.2K

808.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.7K

$430 MDL 7,629

76.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

43.12%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Playa del Carmen and $224 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 76% 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: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Cimislia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $151 per month, with Cimislia 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 Cimislia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cimislia wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cimislia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $224 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $804 in Cimislia – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $804 in Cimislia versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cimislia but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cimislia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cimislia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $804 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cimislia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cimislia 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 Cimislia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.