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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,053 in Cricova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,939 in Cricova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,825 in Cricova.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 26% more expensive than in Cricova, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cricova 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$8.56 MDL 145

52.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$29.10 MDL 494

58.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$10.89 MDL 185

15.61%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$1.08 MDL 18.32

270.37%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.09 MDL 18.47

30.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.73 MDL 12.35

10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$2.02 MDL 34.27

50.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.28 MDL 38.68

199.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$2.51 MDL 42.60

-31.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.52 MDL 8.89

326.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.09 MDL 18.49

57.80%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$1.30 MDL 22.06

108.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$6.95 MDL 118

34.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$4.71 MDL 80.0

88.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$12.59 MDL 214

1.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$1.14 MDL 19.31

174.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$0.83 MDL 14.15

86.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.12 MDL 19.09

91.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.14 MDL 19.36

106.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.76 MDL 12.84

165.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.14 MDL 19.36

74.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.09 MDL 18.57

13.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$1.08 MDL 18.42

10.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$3.38 MDL 57.4

37.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$4.73 MDL 80.2

121.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$2.66 MDL 45.17

-40.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$4.49 MDL 76.2

-34.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.60 MDL 10.27

-6.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$23.42 MDL 398

27.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.13 MDL 19.21

370.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.27 MDL 4.63

1277.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$6.90 MDL 117

-16.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.37 MDL 23.20

13.14%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$30.3K MDL 514.0K

-26.10%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$25.2K MDL 427.1K

1.67%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$249 MDL 4,235

-64.20%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$8.20 MDL 139

184.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$11.79 MDL 200

169.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$58.8 MDL 998

17.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$11.72 MDL 199

150.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$7.96 MDL 135

-36.43%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$119 MDL 2,015

87.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$5,386 MDL 91.5K

-20.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$57.4 MDL 974

-19.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$28.86 MDL 490

53.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$86.7 MDL 1,472

10.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$115 MDL 1,949

-19.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$936 MDL 15.9K

14.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$229 MDL 3,881

72.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$1,446 MDL 24.6K

37.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$1,168 MDL 19.8K

11.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$2,942 MDL 50.0K

37.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$2,013 MDL 34.2K

229.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$584 MDL 9,924

27.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

65.71%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Cricova: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $936 in Cricova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 28% 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: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in Cricova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $197 per month, with Cricova 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 Cricova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Cricova differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,330 vs $1,053 including rent). Cricova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $936 in Cricova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cricova runs roughly 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $222 in Playa del Carmen versus $119 in Cricova. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,053 in Cricova versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cricova but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cricova 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.

Expats usually find Cricova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.