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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,173 in Cozumel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,795 in Cozumel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,416 in Cozumel.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 7% more expensive than in Cozumel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cozumel 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$8.48 MX$147

38.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$43.08 MX$745

-2.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.86 MX$136

33.72%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.16 MX$54.7

13.61%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.22 MX$21.08

23.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.12 MX$19.42

-17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.87 MX$32.36

58.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.61 MX$62.5

22.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.39 MX$23.99

0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.55 MX$26.81

21.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.50 MX$25.94

4.00%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.00 MX$34.68

30.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.35 MX$179

-19.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.89 MX$119

21.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$11.41 MX$197

-4.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.43 MX$41.96

11.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.40 MX$24.15

7.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.17 MX$37.58

-13.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.50 MX$25.92

46.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.16 MX$37.35

-13.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.96 MX$33.93

13.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.03 MX$17.90

3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.95 MX$16.37

14.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.25 MX$73.6

-1.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$11.52 MX$199

-9.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.33 MX$22.99

24.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.83 MX$48.91

-7.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.65 MX$11.33

-16.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.36 MX$40.85

30.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.38 MX$41.14

0.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.65 MX$115

-52.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.30 MX$22.53

0.77%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$15.7K MX$271.0K

90.31%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$21.2K MX$365.9K

10.27%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$50.2 MX$868

62.04%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$22.04 MX$381

2.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$21.71 MX$376

38.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$36.64 MX$634

44.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$15.90 MX$275

15.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.59 MX$79.4

7.19%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$205 MX$3,546

-2.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,481 MX$60.2K

48.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$56.7 MX$980

-36.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$49.00 MX$848

-18.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$89.5 MX$1,549

-10.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$83.8 MX$1,450

3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$697 MX$12.1K

40.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$493 MX$8,534

-4.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,532 MX$26.5K

7.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$765 MX$13.2K

57.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,930 MX$33.4K

104.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,235 MX$21.4K

435.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$676 MX$11.7K

0.14%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $697 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 0% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $43.00 in Cozumel. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $241, 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $1,173 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $697 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,173 in Cozumel – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,173 in Cozumel versus $1,260 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 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.