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: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $829 in Cimislia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,181 in Cimislia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,533 in Cimislia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 60% more expensive than in Cimislia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cimislia 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$7.00 MDL 119

86.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$22.93 MDL 389

101.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$10.74 MDL 182

17.23%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$1.72 MDL 29.13

132.56%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.11 MDL 18.77

27.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.71 MDL 12.08

14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$1.18 MDL 19.97

158.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.35 MDL 39.87

190.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.07 MDL 18.22

59.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.43 MDL 7.25

416.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.66 MDL 28.21

3.61%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.14 MDL 36.26

26.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$6.97 MDL 118

34.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$4.13 MDL 70.1

114.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$6.55 MDL 111

95.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$0.56 MDL 9.48

458.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.32 MDL 39.34

-33.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.44 MDL 24.41

49.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$2.03 MDL 34.43

15.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.59 MDL 10.02

242.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.51 MDL 8.61

290.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.46 MDL 7.80

169.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.55 MDL 9.38

116.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$3.36 MDL 57.1

38.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$4.54 MDL 77.1

130.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.14 MDL 19.29

38.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.00 MDL 33.99

46.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.28 MDL 4.69

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$2.87 MDL 48.76

85.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.25 MDL 4.22

1388.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$5.85 MDL 99.3

-1.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.42 MDL 24.07

9.15%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$35.5K MDL 603.5K

-37.06%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$24.9K MDL 423.1K

2.62%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$237 MDL 4,018

-62.27%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$8.29 MDL 141

181.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$11.77 MDL 200

169.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$17.16 MDL 291

300.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$7.63 MDL 130

-33.68%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$115 MDL 1,960

92.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$5,438 MDL 92.3K

-21.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$46.85 MDL 795

-1.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$57.7 MDL 979

65.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$51.8 MDL 879

78.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$228 MDL 3,864

369.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$174 MDL 2,963

125.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$349 MDL 5,931

469.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$287 MDL 4,880

353.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$744 MDL 12.6K

442.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$705 MDL 12.0K

839.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$435 MDL 7,384

71.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

45.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $228 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 72% 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: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Cimislia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $154 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 60% 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 72% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $228 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $829 in Cimislia – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $829 in Cimislia versus $1,330 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 $829 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 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.