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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,178 in Cuautla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,890 in Cuautla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,602 in Cuautla.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than in Cuautla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cuautla 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$204

$9.76 MX$169

20.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$725

$46.75 MX$811

-10.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$181

$8.04 MX$140

29.48%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.57 MX$62.0

1.12%

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

$1.46 MX$25.28

$1.31 MX$22.69

11.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$1.00 MX$17.29

-3.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.8

$2.34 MX$40.54

24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.2

$4.20 MX$72.9

10.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.58 MX$27.48

-9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$2.66 MX$46.08

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.18

$1.99 MX$34.56

-21.11%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.73

$2.42 MX$41.93

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$146

$8.37 MX$145

0.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$149

$9.92 MX$172

-13.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$191

$12.95 MX$225

-15.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.91

$3.58 MX$62.2

-24.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$1.47 MX$25.51

2.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.22

$1.94 MX$33.63

-1.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.69

$1.77 MX$30.64

22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.53

$1.73 MX$30.01

8.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.76

$1.88 MX$32.63

18.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$1.27 MX$21.98

-14.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.16 MX$20.12

-7.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.2

$4.24 MX$73.5

-1.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$179

$17.53 MX$304

-41.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.20

$2.03 MX$35.18

-17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$3.21 MX$55.7

-21.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$0.65 MX$11.28

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$3.21 MX$55.7

-0.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.73

$1.18 MX$20.55

108.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$9.42 MX$163

-66.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$1.27 MX$22.08

3.94%

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

$30.2K MX$523.3K

$19.9K MX$345.3K

51.52%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$20.6K MX$357.7K

13.50%

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

$81.4 MX$1,412

$63.4 MX$1,099

28.41%

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

$22.41 MX$389

$23.57 MX$409

-4.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$520

$28.15 MX$489

6.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$35.29 MX$612

46.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$15.96 MX$277

15.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$89.6

$5.79 MX$101

-10.88%

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

$202 MX$3,501

$322 MX$5,592

-37.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$92.2K

$4,900 MX$85.0K

8.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$618

$51.3 MX$890

-30.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$701

$42.39 MX$736

-4.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,365

$97.3 MX$1,689

-19.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,507

$98.5 MX$1,710

-11.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.5K

$518 MX$8,994

83.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,298

$398 MX$6,901

20.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$28.1K

$933 MX$16.2K

73.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$748 MX$13.0K

63.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.6K

$1,775 MX$30.8K

125.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$112.3K

$1,390 MX$24.1K

365.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.55

-1.13%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Cuautla: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $518 in Cuautla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $47.00 in Cuautla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $296 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

Cuautla is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,941 in Playa del Carmen and $1,768 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $518 in Cuautla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $322 in Cuautla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuautla – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,178 in Cuautla versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuautla but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cuautla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuautla 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.

Expats usually find Cuautla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.