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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $839 in Crato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,334 in Crato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,829 in Crato.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 51% more expensive than in Crato, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Crato 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.56 R$28.59

108.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$33.78 R$174

39.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.44 R$33.11

84.47%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.06 R$10.61

93.20%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.14 R$5.87

25.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.73 R$3.78

12.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.99 R$10.24

60.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.11 R$15.99

118.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.09 R$5.60

54.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.59 R$8.16

38.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.18 R$6.05

44.92%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.27 R$11.69

20.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.64 R$54.7

-9.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.18 R$21.52

115.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.14 R$46.99

40.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.37 R$12.20

21.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.18 R$6.06

27.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.07 R$5.49

100.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.60 R$8.25

41.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.17 R$6.03

69.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.17 R$6.03

70.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.84 R$4.30

46.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.78 R$4.00

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.32 R$11.95

96.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.54 R$43.91

21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.19 R$6.11

36.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.79 R$9.19

60.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.99 R$5.08

-39.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$40.41 R$208

-28.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.08 R$5.53

399.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.76 R$3.89

390.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$7.49 R$38.49

-22.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.32 R$6.79

16.67%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$23.1K R$118.8K

-2.44%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$36.8K R$189.4K

-29.27%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$73.7 R$379

23.97%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$10.57 R$54.3

138.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$20.18 R$104

54.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$24.53 R$126

173.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$25.69 R$132

13.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$7.51 R$38.62

-35.29%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$307 R$1,577

-27.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$7,377 R$37.9K

-42.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$47.17 R$243

-0.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$49.67 R$255

-10.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$94.9 R$488

-15.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$68.4 R$352

35.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$336 R$1,727

216.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$232 R$1,195

67.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$715 R$3,676

200.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$444 R$2,283

186.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,734 R$8,914

130.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,082 R$5,563

500.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.06

3.53%

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 Crato: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $336 in Crato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Crato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $197 per month, with Crato 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 Crato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Crato wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Crato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,259 in Crato to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $336 in Crato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Crato runs roughly 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $307 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $839 in Crato versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Crato but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Crato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Crato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Crato hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Crato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.