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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,088 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,764 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,439 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% more than Cuauhtémoc, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cuauhtémoc are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cuauhtémoc 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.71 MX$184

10.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$38.47 MX$660

11.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.91 MX$136

34.64%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.25 MX$55.8

6.15%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.29 MX$22.11

16.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.93 MX$15.90

2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.33 MX$40.01

30.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.94 MX$67.6

17.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.50 MX$25.77

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.61 MX$44.71

-29.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.63 MX$27.90

-1.23%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.39 MX$41.00

8.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.09 MX$139

2.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.65 MX$131

9.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.76 MX$185

-0.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.63 MX$45.11

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.41 MX$24.18

5.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.76 MX$30.24

9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.61 MX$27.62

29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.92 MX$32.91

-3.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.95 MX$33.54

15.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.25 MX$21.47

-15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.97 MX$16.71

12.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.21 MX$72.2

-1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$12.37 MX$212

-16.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.62 MX$27.73

6.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.79 MX$47.88

-6.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.61 MX$10.39

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.63 MX$45.23

19.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.59 MX$27.33

57.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.36 MX$144

-62.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.27 MX$21.82

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.3K MX$366.2K

42.36%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$22.5K MX$385.9K

4.82%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$56.9 MX$977

45.84%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$22.11 MX$380

2.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$28.37 MX$487

3.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$35.62 MX$611

43.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$15.85 MX$272

15.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.55 MX$78.1

8.35%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$210 MX$3,608

-6.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,559 MX$61.1K

48.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$53.8 MX$922

-31.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$39.75 MX$682

0.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$90.2 MX$1,549

-11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$78.8 MX$1,352

13.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$519 MX$8,909

84.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$394 MX$6,760

21.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$924 MX$15.9K

78.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$759 MX$13.0K

61.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,700 MX$29.2K

130.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,186 MX$20.4K

444.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cuauhtémoc: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $519 in Cuauhtémoc. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Cuauhtémoc. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $253 in Cuauhtémoc – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Cuauhtémoc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 17%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,632 in Cuauhtémoc. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuauhtémoc, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $38.00 in Cuauhtémoc. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuauhtémoc, where all-in costs run around $1,088, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Cuauhtémoc it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuauhtémoc – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cuauhtémoc. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.