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 $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $770 in Contenda, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,196 in Contenda, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,623 in Contenda, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 64% more than Contenda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Contenda are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Contenda 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$3.58 R$17.82

225.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$10.92 R$54.3

283.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$6.42 R$31.90

61.99%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.92 R$9.53

88.02%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.17 R$5.80

25.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.52 R$2.57

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.75 R$8.71

73.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$1.84 R$9.14

142.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$0.92 R$4.59

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$1.47 R$7.30

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.23 R$6.12

30.89%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.14 R$10.61

20.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$9.19 R$45.69

-7.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$3.37 R$16.74

151.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$7.15 R$35.53

53.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.25 R$11.18

21.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.11 R$5.51

35.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.06 R$5.28

84.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.28 R$6.36

65.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$0.87 R$4.31

113.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.07 R$5.31

102.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.74 R$3.67

44.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.70 R$3.50

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.24 R$11.13

87.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$3.97 R$19.74

158.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.51 R$7.52

10.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$1.78 R$8.86

39.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.89 R$4.42

-39.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$38.43 R$191

-31.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.10 R$5.45

181.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.87 R$4.33

182.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$7.57 R$37.63

-57.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.06 R$5.28

18.87%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$16.1K R$80.0K

87.31%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$19.6K R$97.3K

19.72%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$64.8 R$322

29.71%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$7.40 R$36.76

200.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$18.17 R$90.3

63.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$22.69 R$113

132.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$21.53 R$107

-14.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$7.03 R$34.93

-29.59%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$454 R$2,258

-56.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$9,441 R$46.9K

-43.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$67.5 R$335

-46.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$63.9 R$318

-37.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$82.8 R$411

-4.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$59.5 R$296

45.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$321 R$1,595

204.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$212 R$1,055

121.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$573 R$2,850

178.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$426 R$2,117

185.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,466 R$7,288

174.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,266 R$6,291

419.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Contenda: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 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 in Playa del Carmen versus $11 in Contenda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $167 – 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 64% 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 $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,155 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 $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $454 in Contenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% 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 $770, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. 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 $770 versus $1,261 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.