Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Coral Gables, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,531 in Coral Gables, FL, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Coral Gables, FL
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Coral Gables, FL Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Coral Gables, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Coral Gables, FL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Coral Gables, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,531 in Coral Gables, FL.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Coral Gables, FL $2,531

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,732 in Coral Gables, FL.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Coral Gables, FL $3,732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,932 in Coral Gables, FL.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Coral Gables, FL $4,932

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 52% less than in Coral Gables, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Coral Gables, FL is 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$17.61 $17.61

-37.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$74.0 $74.0

-41.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$10.12 $10.12

16.40%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$5.24 $5.24

-27.29%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$3.07 $3.07

-58.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$1.92 $1.92

-59.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$5.15 $5.15

-38.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$7.47 $7.47

-34.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.83 $0.83

69.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$4.18 $4.18

-46.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$3.15 $3.15

-54.92%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$4.04 $4.04

-37.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$13.24 $13.24

-45.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$11.15 $11.15

-30.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$14.97 $14.97

-15.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$4.55 $4.55

-38.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.57 $1.57

-12.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$4.34 $4.34

-41.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$5.37 $5.37

-60.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$3.01 $3.01

-35.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$2.99 $2.99

-36.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$2.31 $2.31

-50.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$1.26 $1.26

-6.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$9.09 $9.09

-52.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$15.75 $15.75

-36.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$2.08 $2.08

-24.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$3.23 $3.23

-17.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.96 $1.96

-71.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$58.9 $58.9

-54.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$3.03 $3.03

64.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.89 $1.89

76.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$24.36 $24.36

-78.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.01 $1.01

42.57%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$18.4K $18.4K

12.59%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$21.1K $21.1K

10.98%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$170 $170

-50.27%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$39.67 $39.67

-40.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$58.9 $58.9

-51.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$39.48 $39.48

44.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$12.97 $12.97

-60.37%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$883 $883

-76.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$20.7K $20.7K

-80.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$73.3 $73.3

-40.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$56.9 $56.9

-27.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$119 $119

-37.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$102 $102

-12.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$3,105 $3,105

-68.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$1,281 $1,281

-70.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$2,534 $2,534

-32.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$2,134 $2,134

-49.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$2,814 $2,814

40.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$2,321 $2,321

165.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$5,871 $5,871

-87.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.76

69.38%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Coral Gables, FL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Coral Gables, FL

$1.3K 50.6% 236% $900

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Coral Gables, FL

$383 15.2% 50.5% $129

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Coral Gables, FL

$295 11.7% 45.7% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Coral Gables, FL

$269 10.6% 96.6% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Coral Gables, FL

$158 6.2% 41.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Coral Gables, FL

$65 2.6% 2.8% $1.9

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Coral Gables, FL

$79 3.1% 57.1% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $3,105 in Coral Gables, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coral Gables, FL pays about 8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $74 in Coral Gables, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $383 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Coral Gables, FL

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

42,794

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Playa del Carmen Coral Gables, FL 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Playa del Carmen
Coral Gables, FL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Coral Gables, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,531 in Coral Gables, FL, so Playa del Carmen is about 52% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,105 in Coral Gables, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,531 in Coral Gables, FL – Playa del Carmen is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 55% less than in Coral Gables, FL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,531 in Coral Gables, FL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Coral Gables, FL. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Coral Gables, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.