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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,189 in Cozumel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,800 in Cozumel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,411 in Cozumel.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 9% more expensive than Cozumel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cozumel 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$8.22 MX$141

42.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$42.79 MX$736

-2.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$7.86 MX$135

32.44%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$3.01 MX$51.8

19.93%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.21 MX$20.76

20.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$1.07 MX$18.40

-9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.83 MX$31.46

59.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$3.72 MX$64.0

24.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.39 MX$23.90

2.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.63 MX$28.09

16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.51 MX$25.96

3.97%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$1.93 MX$33.26

36.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$10.48 MX$180

-19.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$6.89 MX$119

24.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$11.09 MX$191

-0.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.32 MX$39.88

16.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.41 MX$24.31

7.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$2.13 MX$36.65

-10.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.51 MX$25.91

43.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$2.07 MX$35.67

-9.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.87 MX$32.23

19.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.03 MX$17.78

4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.95 MX$16.33

12.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$4.14 MX$71.2

0.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$11.46 MX$197

-10.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.37 MX$23.63

22.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.73 MX$47.06

-7.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.60 MX$10.31

-8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$2.33 MX$40.12

37.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$2.42 MX$41.69

1.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$6.68 MX$115

-52.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.33 MX$22.82

-0.75%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$15.7K MX$269.8K

92.33%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$21.2K MX$364.4K

10.47%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$50.0 MX$860

62.67%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$22.29 MX$384

0.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$22.09 MX$380

35.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$37.40 MX$644

37.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$15.58 MX$268

18.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$4.70 MX$80.9

9.79%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$209 MX$3,593

-3.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$3,561 MX$61.3K

49.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$55.1 MX$949

-35.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$48.46 MX$834

-16.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$90.1 MX$1,551

-12.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$84.0 MX$1,445

3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$691 MX$11.9K

37.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$479 MX$8,246

-0.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$1,507 MX$25.9K

7.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$767 MX$13.2K

59.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$2,026 MX$34.9K

97.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,232 MX$21.2K

425.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$689 MX$11.9K

-2.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.68

-2.23%

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 Cozumel: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $691 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cozumel pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $43.00 in Cozumel. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $240, with Cozumel cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cozumel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Cozumel differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $1,189 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cozumel earns 2% less. 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $691 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% 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 $1,189 in Cozumel – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,189 in Cozumel versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cozumel but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cozumel 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel 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 Cozumel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.