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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,477 in Crikvenica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,242 in Crikvenica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,007 in Crikvenica.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 12% less than in Crikvenica, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Crikvenica is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$12.54 €10.80

-6.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$69.0 €59.4

-39.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$8.08 €6.96

28.84%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.33 €2.00

54.94%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$3.46 €2.98

-57.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$2.18 €1.87

-55.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$4.40 €3.79

-33.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$3.87 €3.33

19.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.20 €1.03

19.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.35 €1.16

40.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$2.98 €2.57

-47.32%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$3.57 €3.08

-26.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$16.51 €14.22

-48.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$10.85 €9.34

-20.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$11.53 €9.93

-4.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$1.58 €1.36

70.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.56 €1.34

-3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.79 €1.54

6.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$2.52 €2.17

-13.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.20 €1.03

55.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.33 €1.14

67.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.89 €0.77

21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.19 €1.03

-10.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$5.08 €4.37

-18.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$7.68 €6.61

33.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.37 €1.18

22.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$1.36 €1.17

86.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$1.70 €1.46

-67.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$42.46 €36.56

-38.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$3.13 €2.70

2.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.33 €1.15

84.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$8.78 €7.56

-63.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.77 €1.52

-25.42%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$37.5K €32.3K

-19.67%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$26.0K €22.4K

-10.18%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$189 €163

-56.92%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$22.45 €19.33

-0.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$29.59 €25.48

1.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$51.6 €44.41

-0.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$14.59 €12.56

26.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$9.04 €7.78

-42.92%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$228 €196

-11.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$1,384 €1,192

283.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$91.7 €78.9

-61.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$35.23 €30.33

14.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$99.9 €86.0

-21.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$104 €90.0

-16.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$664 €572

43.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$470 €405

1.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$1,029 €886

57.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$788 €679

55.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$4,173 €3,594

-3.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$3,239 €2,789

99.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.63

146.65%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Crikvenica: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $664 in Crikvenica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $69.0 in Crikvenica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $276 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Crikvenica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,941 in Playa del Carmen and $2,215 in Crikvenica 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $664 in Crikvenica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 62% less than in Crikvenica. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $228 in Crikvenica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,477 in Crikvenica, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Crikvenica. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Crikvenica, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Crikvenica 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Crikvenica. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.