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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $772 in Contenda, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,195 in Contenda, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,618 in Contenda, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 68% more than Contenda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Contenda are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Contenda 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$3.65 R$18.78

221.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$10.72 R$55.2

288.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$6.28 R$32.34

69.43%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$1.92 R$9.87

83.33%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$1.20 R$6.19

25.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.56 R$2.86

73.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.79 R$9.20

64.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$1.83 R$9.45

143.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$0.87 R$4.47

58.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.46 R$7.50

29.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$1.18 R$6.07

38.98%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$2.17 R$11.20

15.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$9.66 R$49.76

-13.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$3.43 R$17.64

143.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$7.24 R$37.31

48.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.48

$2.29 R$11.79

13.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.11 R$5.69

31.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.11 R$5.71

71.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$1.22 R$6.30

70.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$0.94 R$4.82

89.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$1.05 R$5.42

108.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.69 R$3.55

50.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.73 R$3.76

47.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$2.19 R$11.28

86.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$4.02 R$20.70

156.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$1.48 R$7.60

15.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.98

$1.81 R$9.35

42.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.94 R$4.83

-45.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$38.02 R$196

-30.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$1.11 R$5.70

193.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.51

$0.83 R$4.29

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$7.71 R$39.74

-57.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.05 R$5.42

24.76%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$16.3K R$83.8K

86.23%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$19.5K R$100.5K

20.13%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$65.7 R$339

26.08%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$7.18 R$37.00

209.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$17.77 R$91.6

65.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$22.86 R$118

125.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$21.59 R$111

-15.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$7.15 R$36.82

-29.09%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$448 R$2,306

-55.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$9,448 R$48.7K

-44.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$66.6 R$343

-44.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$63.6 R$328

-37.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$83.8 R$432

-6.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$58.8 R$303

48.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$321 R$1,652

203.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,169

$218 R$1,122

114.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$584 R$3,009

180.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$430 R$2,215

183.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$1,364 R$7,028

189.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,101 R$5,672

490.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.12

-5.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Contenda: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $321 in Contenda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $11.00 in Contenda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $169 – making Contenda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Contenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 68% more than Contenda, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,158 in Contenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contenda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $448 in Contenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Contenda, where all-in costs run around $772, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Contenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Contenda costs $772 versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Contenda. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.