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: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,101 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,769 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,438 in Cuajimalpa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 15% more expensive than Cuajimalpa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Cuajimalpa 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$10.61 MX$184

9.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$39.25 MX$680

6.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$8.00 MX$139

30.00%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.21 MX$55.6

12.46%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.27 MX$22.04

15.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.97 MX$16.72

-6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.39 MX$41.50

26.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$3.97 MX$68.7

12.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.50 MX$26.03

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$2.52 MX$43.65

-26.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.63 MX$28.26

-1.23%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.32 MX$40.16

10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.93 MX$138

7.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.85 MX$136

8.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$10.38 MX$180

5.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.61 MX$45.25

4.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.45 MX$25.18

3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.80 MX$31.22

8.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.60 MX$27.76

32.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.93 MX$33.53

-3.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$2.02 MX$34.96

7.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.25 MX$21.72

-14.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$1.02 MX$17.59

2.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$4.06 MX$70.3

3.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$10.82 MX$188

-4.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.57 MX$27.15

6.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.77 MX$47.98

-10.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.65 MX$11.33

-16.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$2.65 MX$46.00

16.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.60 MX$27.72

53.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$8.50 MX$147

-61.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.27 MX$21.98

-0.79%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$21.0K MX$364.0K

43.61%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$22.3K MX$386.0K

5.27%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$56.2 MX$974

49.47%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$22.32 MX$387

-0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$28.00 MX$485

5.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$35.86 MX$621

46.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$16.14 MX$280

13.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$4.70 MX$81.5

5.32%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$208 MX$3,600

-4.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$3,536 MX$61.3K

50.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$53.9 MX$934

-33.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$39.27 MX$680

2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$91.3 MX$1,583

-13.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$78.7 MX$1,363

9.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$501 MX$8,688

94.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$389 MX$6,741

21.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$931 MX$16.1K

71.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$761 MX$13.2K

59.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,851 MX$32.1K

117.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,343 MX$23.3K

389.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $501 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $39 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $249 per month, with Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $1,651 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $501 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $208 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 $1,101 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,261 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 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.