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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,218 in Cozumel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,982 in Cozumel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,745 in Cozumel.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 4% more expensive than in Cozumel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Cozumel 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$9.15 MX$158

26.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$46.88 MX$808

0.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.96 MX$155

32.59%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.04 MX$52.4

30.92%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.20 MX$20.74

19.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.02 MX$17.67

-19.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.70 MX$29.28

87.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.42 MX$59.0

98.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.52 MX$26.16

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.80 MX$31.03

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.92 MX$33.16

-10.94%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.04 MX$35.19

34.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.10 MX$191

-13.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.36 MX$144

7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$13.13 MX$226

-2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.61 MX$45.08

10.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.54 MX$26.56

-2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.26 MX$38.95

-4.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.67 MX$28.81

35.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.45 MX$42.32

-19.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.89 MX$32.67

5.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.50 MX$25.93

-18.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.19 MX$20.59

0.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.76 MX$82.1

-4.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$11.45 MX$197

-9.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.61 MX$27.68

0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.67 MX$46.02

7.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.61 MX$10.45

-1.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$69.3 MX$1,195

-58.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.96 MX$51.0

82.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$3.29 MX$56.7

13.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$9.57 MX$165

-39.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.46 MX$25.20

5.48%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$21.8K MX$375.3K

3.59%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$24.9K MX$430.0K

4.48%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$61.4 MX$1,059

48.80%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$22.07 MX$381

14.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$23.61 MX$407

32.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$40.05 MX$691

67.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$21.08 MX$363

38.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$6.26 MX$108

-22.36%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$268 MX$4,616

-16.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$3,839 MX$66.2K

10.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$57.3 MX$988

-17.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$55.6 MX$958

-20.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$108 MX$1,854

-25.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$88.8 MX$1,532

4.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$646 MX$11.1K

64.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$417 MX$7,191

-6.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,712 MX$29.5K

25.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$827 MX$14.3K

53.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,981 MX$34.2K

102.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,218 MX$21.0K

434.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$701 MX$12.1K

8.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.64

-1.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $646 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 8% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $47.00 in Cozumel. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $271, 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 4% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,218 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $646 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cozumel – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,218 in Cozumel versus $1,266 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 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.