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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $854 in Cimislia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,247 in Cimislia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,639 in Cimislia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 51% more expensive than Cimislia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Cimislia 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.90 MDL 119

73.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$23.54 MDL 406

81.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.57 MDL 131

39.89%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.80 MDL 31.08

101.11%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.91 MDL 15.67

61.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.70 MDL 12.02

34.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.16 MDL 19.93

166.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.35 MDL 40.54

89.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.04 MDL 17.92

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.42 MDL 7.31

347.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.45 MDL 24.94

12.41%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.08 MDL 35.94

26.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.90 MDL 153

-7.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.98 MDL 68.7

108.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.97 MDL 155

23.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$0.56 MDL 9.60

373.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.77 MDL 30.48

-15.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.49 MDL 25.78

33.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.06 MDL 35.55

0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.61 MDL 10.44

193.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.58 MDL 10.08

275.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.32 MDL 22.72

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.85 MDL 14.60

22.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.24 MDL 56.0

22.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$4.64 MDL 80.0

119.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.19 MDL 20.48

45.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.93 MDL 33.25

29.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.30 MDL 5.18

73.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.99 MDL 34.39

57.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.27 MDL 4.70

788.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.39 MDL 92.9

-42.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.38 MDL 23.76

-7.97%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$32.6K MDL 562.8K

-5.35%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$30.8K MDL 531.7K

-24.36%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$173 MDL 2,984

-52.59%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$7.62 MDL 131

194.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$10.91 MDL 188

171.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$17.29 MDL 298

200.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.59 MDL 131

-34.52%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$394 MDL 6,793

-49.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,539 MDL 130.0K

-30.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$65.7 MDL 1,133

-44.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$52.8 MDL 910

-24.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$114 MDL 1,961

-29.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$123 MDL 2,129

-28.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$234 MDL 4,029

312.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$173 MDL 2,990

168.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$349 MDL 6,014

357.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$286 MDL 4,940

322.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$767 MDL 13.2K

413.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$710 MDL 12.2K

808.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$440 MDL 7,591

63.70%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $234 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 64% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Cimislia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $169 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 64% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $234 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $854 in Cimislia – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $854 in Cimislia versus $1,287 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 $854 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.