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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $846 in Cimislia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,264 in Cimislia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,683 in Cimislia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 53% more expensive than in Cimislia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cimislia 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$204

$6.91 MDL 119

69.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$725

$23.31 MDL 403

79.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$181

$7.73 MDL 134

34.67%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.76 MDL 30.42

105.11%

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

$1.46 MX$25.28

$0.97 MDL 16.74

50.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.70 MDL 12.03

38.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.8

$1.15 MDL 19.88

153.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.2

$2.40 MDL 41.55

92.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.07 MDL 18.46

33.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$0.40 MDL 6.88

375.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.18

$1.51 MDL 26.09

3.97%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.73

$2.08 MDL 35.93

26.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$146

$8.80 MDL 152

-4.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$149

$4.04 MDL 69.8

112.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$191

$9.01 MDL 156

22.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.91

$0.57 MDL 9.82

373.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$1.74 MDL 30.06

-13.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.22

$1.47 MDL 25.41

29.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.69

$2.04 MDL 35.21

6.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.53

$0.60 MDL 10.35

211.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.76

$0.59 MDL 10.25

277.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$1.29 MDL 22.30

-16.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.89 MDL 15.40

20.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.2

$3.17 MDL 54.7

31.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$179

$4.50 MDL 77.7

128.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.20

$1.18 MDL 20.47

42.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$1.89 MDL 32.70

33.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$0.30 MDL 5.19

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$1.99 MDL 34.44

60.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.73

$0.27 MDL 4.69

811.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$5.41 MDL 93.6

-40.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$1.39 MDL 23.99

-5.04%

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

$30.2K MX$523.3K

$32.2K MDL 555.7K

-6.23%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$30.7K MDL 530.3K

-23.77%

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

$81.4 MX$1,412

$173 MDL 2,998

-53.10%

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

$22.41 MX$389

$7.71 MDL 133

190.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$520

$10.98 MDL 190

172.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$17.41 MDL 301

196.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$89.6

$7.56 MDL 131

-31.75%

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

$202 MX$3,501

$395 MDL 6,832

-48.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$92.2K

$7,495 MDL 129.5K

-29.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$618

$66.9 MDL 1,155

-46.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$701

$52.9 MDL 915

-23.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,365

$114 MDL 1,978

-31.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,507

$123 MDL 2,128

-29.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.5K

$235 MDL 4,057

304.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,298

$173 MDL 2,989

176.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$28.1K

$346 MDL 5,978

368.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$286 MDL 4,941

327.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.6K

$749 MDL 12.9K

435.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$112.3K

$687 MDL 11.9K

842.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

$425 MDL 7,345

58.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.24

23.59%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $235 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 58% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Cimislia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $170 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 53% 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 58% 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $235 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $846 in Cimislia – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $846 in Cimislia versus $1,294 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 $846 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 53% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.