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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,266 in Cuautla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,085 in Cuautla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,903 in Cuautla.

Monthly costs are close between Playa del Carmen and Cuautla; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Cuautla 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$11.70 MX$201

-0.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$65.3 MX$1,121

-27.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$9.67 MX$166

22.85%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.95 MX$67.8

0.76%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.76 MX$30.26

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$1.10 MX$18.80

-25.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$3.69 MX$63.3

-13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$5.90 MX$101

15.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.89 MX$32.51

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$2.97 MX$51.0

-25.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.14 MX$36.77

-20.09%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$3.00 MX$51.6

-8.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$9.59 MX$165

-0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$9.43 MX$162

-4.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$14.52 MX$249

-11.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$3.71 MX$63.7

-22.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.78 MX$30.59

-15.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.40 MX$41.13

-10.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.01 MX$34.50

12.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.04 MX$35.08

-2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.86 MX$32.00

6.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.58 MX$27.06

-22.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.25 MX$21.46

-4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$4.99 MX$85.7

-8.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$18.59 MX$319

-44.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$2.39 MX$41.09

-32.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$4.52 MX$77.6

-36.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.73 MX$12.47

-17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.57 MX$61.2

50.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.73 MX$46.93

36.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$11.87 MX$204

-51.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.39 MX$23.81

10.79%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$22.6K MX$387.5K

-0.12%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$25.2K MX$432.9K

3.32%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$65.4 MX$1,122

39.77%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$29.22 MX$502

-13.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$27.08 MX$465

15.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$38.97 MX$669

72.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$23.74 MX$407

22.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$7.79 MX$134

-37.61%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$286 MX$4,913

-21.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$5,353 MX$91.9K

-21.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$57.2 MX$982

-17.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$48.63 MX$835

-8.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$105 MX$1,803

-23.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$103 MX$1,763

-9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$618 MX$10.6K

71.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$357 MX$6,125

9.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,015 MX$17.4K

111.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$824 MX$14.1K

54.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$2,000 MX$34.3K

100.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,184 MX$20.3K

449.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.99

-4.50%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Cuautla: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $618 in Cuautla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $65.0 in Cuautla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $327 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 Cuautla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,899 in Cuautla 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $618 in Cuautla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $65.0 in Cuautla. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $286 in Cuautla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,266 in Cuautla, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cuautla. 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 Cuautla, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Cuautla on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.