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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $781 in Crato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,240 in Crato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,699 in Crato.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 61% more expensive than in Crato, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Crato 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.53 R$28.07

111.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$27.17 R$138

54.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.20 R$31.46

69.52%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.77 R$8.98

102.82%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.07 R$5.45

41.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.67 R$3.39

37.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.82 R$9.21

62.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.73 R$13.85

61.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.00 R$5.10

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.52 R$7.70

23.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.13 R$5.75

38.05%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.97 R$9.98

32.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.35 R$42.37

-0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.72 R$18.85

124.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.15 R$36.26

51.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.04 R$10.37

32.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.30 R$6.60

16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.20 R$6.10

55.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.51 R$7.64

45.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.20 R$6.07

55.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.11 R$5.64

100.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.69 R$3.50

55.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.62 R$3.13

75.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.14 R$10.87

95.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.43 R$42.77

23.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.22 R$6.17

36.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.00 R$10.13

30.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.87 R$4.39

-37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$39.15 R$199

-33.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.09 R$5.54

182.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.74 R$3.76

224.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.25 R$31.73

-49.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.07 R$5.44

22.43%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.4K R$103.6K

46.05%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$28.1K R$142.4K

-16.92%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$59.5 R$302

36.58%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$13.56 R$68.8

66.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$18.82 R$95.5

59.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$22.35 R$113

136.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$21.43 R$109

-14.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.43 R$32.63

-23.48%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$274 R$1,389

-26.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,561 R$33.3K

-21.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$48.96 R$248

-26.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$42.04 R$213

-4.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$76.5 R$388

4.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$65.7 R$333

31.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$310 R$1,575

215.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$213 R$1,082

120.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$588 R$2,983

180.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$425 R$2,156

183.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,686 R$8,558

134.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,224 R$6,213

439.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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 Crato: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $310 in Crato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Crato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $176 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 61% 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 $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,172 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $310 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 50% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $274 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $781 in Crato versus $1,260 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 $781 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 61% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.