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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,089 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,734 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,379 in Cuajimalpa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 19% more expensive than Cuajimalpa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cuajimalpa 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$10.47 MX$183

12.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$38.89 MX$679

7.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$8.10 MX$142

31.36%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$3.32 MX$58.1

6.02%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$1.29 MX$22.61

17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$0.93 MX$16.23

4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$2.37 MX$41.36

24.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$3.96 MX$69.1

12.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$1.47 MX$25.71

-6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$2.61 MX$45.50

-27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$1.62 MX$28.32

1.23%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$2.41 MX$42.03

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$8.23 MX$144

1.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$7.85 MX$137

6.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$10.43 MX$182

2.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.48

$2.67 MX$46.56

-2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.44 MX$25.18

1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$1.80 MX$31.43

5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$1.57 MX$27.49

32.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$1.83 MX$31.92

-2.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$2.00 MX$34.99

9.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$1.20 MX$21.01

-13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$1.01 MX$17.72

6.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$4.10 MX$71.6

-0.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$10.87 MX$190

-5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$1.63 MX$28.39

4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.98

$2.87 MX$50.2

-10.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.65 MX$11.41

-21.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$2.65 MX$46.20

23.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.51

$1.54 MX$26.98

61.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$8.11 MX$142

-59.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$1.32 MX$22.99

-0.76%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$20.9K MX$365.3K

44.75%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$22.2K MX$387.6K

5.58%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$57.2 MX$998

44.98%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$22.44 MX$392

-0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$28.34 MX$495

3.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$36.51 MX$638

41.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$15.67 MX$274

16.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$4.62 MX$80.7

9.74%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$206 MX$3,593

-2.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$3,570 MX$62.4K

45.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$51.9 MX$906

-28.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$39.62 MX$692

0.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$90.2 MX$1,575

-13.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$79.8 MX$1,393

9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$510 MX$8,908

90.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,169

$394 MX$6,882

18.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$938 MX$16.4K

74.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$761 MX$13.3K

60.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$2,108 MX$36.8K

87.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,377 MX$24.0K

372.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.48

-0.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $510 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Cuajimalpa. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $251, with Playa del Carmen 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 Cuajimalpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,633 in Cuajimalpa 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $510 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $206 in Cuajimalpa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuajimalpa – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,089 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuajimalpa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cuajimalpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.