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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,153 in Cozumel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,377 in Cozumel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,601 in Cozumel.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 12% more expensive than Cozumel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Cozumel 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$8.49 MX$149

40.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$42.28 MX$740

1.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.77 MX$136

36.29%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.12 MX$54.5

16.03%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.21 MX$21.16

21.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$1.10 MX$19.33

-14.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.87 MX$32.66

65.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.68 MX$64.4

21.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.44 MX$25.19

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.61 MX$28.25

16.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.52 MX$26.56

7.24%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.99 MX$34.88

32.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.37 MX$181

-20.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.14 MX$125

16.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$11.32 MX$198

-1.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.42 MX$42.39

9.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.35 MX$23.68

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.13 MX$37.34

-6.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.44 MX$25.20

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.15 MX$37.66

-16.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.87 MX$32.68

16.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.08 MX$18.83

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.93 MX$16.26

11.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.20 MX$73.5

-5.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.60 MX$203

-12.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.36 MX$23.84

27.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.74 MX$48.02

-8.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.66 MX$11.50

-21.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.34 MX$40.89

34.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.77 MX$119

-54.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.30 MX$22.77

-2.31%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$15.8K MX$275.8K

95.97%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$21.1K MX$368.5K

10.73%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$50.8 MX$888

61.56%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$22.36 MX$391

0.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$22.36 MX$391

32.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$37.54 MX$657

38.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$21.44 MX$375

-12.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.59 MX$80.3

8.28%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$388 MX$6,792

-49.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,447 MX$60.3K

52.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$55.7 MX$974

-34.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$48.39 MX$847

-17.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$90.0 MX$1,574

-11.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$83.0 MX$1,453

7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$708 MX$12.4K

36.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$481 MX$8,415

-3.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,535 MX$26.9K

3.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$2,028 MX$35.5K

-40.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,426 MX$25.0K

176.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,856 MX$32.5K

247.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$699 MX$12.2K

3.00%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $708 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $42.00 in Cozumel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $242 per month, with Cozumel cheaper across the board.

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 12% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $1,153 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 3% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $708 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,153 in Cozumel – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,153 in Cozumel versus $1,287 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 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.