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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,095 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,735 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,376 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Cuauhtémoc, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cuauhtémoc are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Cuauhtémoc 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$10.65 MX$186

12.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$39.46 MX$691

8.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.77 MX$136

36.29%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.25 MX$56.8

11.38%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.23 MX$21.46

19.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.96 MX$16.86

-2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.42 MX$42.38

27.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.92 MX$68.6

13.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.43 MX$24.95

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.52 MX$44.08

-25.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.56 MX$27.28

4.49%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.38 MX$41.69

10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.13 MX$142

0.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$8.07 MX$141

2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.71 MX$187

3.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.62 MX$45.86

1.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.39 MX$24.26

7.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.80 MX$31.54

10.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.65 MX$28.92

26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.89 MX$33.10

-5.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.01 MX$35.23

8.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.26 MX$22.13

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.02 MX$17.91

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.21 MX$73.7

-5.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.02 MX$193

-7.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.59 MX$27.87

8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.75 MX$48.21

-9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.65 MX$11.30

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.55 MX$44.71

23.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.54 MX$27.00

55.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.46 MX$148

-63.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.31 MX$22.97

-3.05%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$20.9K MX$365.3K

47.96%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$22.6K MX$394.9K

3.32%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$57.0 MX$997

43.90%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$22.34 MX$391

0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$28.44 MX$498

4.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$35.92 MX$629

44.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$15.70 MX$275

18.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.67 MX$81.7

6.42%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$205 MX$3,589

-3.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,525 MX$61.7K

49.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$53.8 MX$941

-32.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$39.64 MX$694

1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$90.1 MX$1,577

-11.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$80.6 MX$1,410

10.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$518 MX$9,068

85.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$400 MX$7,002

16.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$926 MX$16.2K

72.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$775 MX$13.6K

55.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,872 MX$32.8K

110.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,420 MX$24.8K

354.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Cuauhtémoc: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $518 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 $39.00 in Cuauhtémoc. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $252 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 18%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,642 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 $39.00 in Cuauhtémoc. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% 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 $1,095, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.