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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,154 in Cuautla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,849 in Cuautla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,545 in Cuautla.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 12% more expensive than Cuautla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Cuautla 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$9.53 MX$167

25.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$45.80 MX$802

-6.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.80 MX$136

35.77%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.59 MX$62.9

0.84%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.31 MX$22.98

12.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.95 MX$16.60

-1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.39 MX$41.87

29.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$4.35 MX$76.2

2.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.59 MX$27.85

-10.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.61 MX$45.64

-27.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.00 MX$35.01

-18.50%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.31 MX$40.50

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.50 MX$149

-3.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$9.78 MX$171

-15.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$12.89 MX$226

-13.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.72 MX$65.2

-28.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.45 MX$25.45

3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.94 MX$33.88

2.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.78 MX$31.23

16.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.77 MX$31.06

1.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.89 MX$33.00

15.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.26 MX$21.98

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.10 MX$19.29

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.33 MX$75.8

-8.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$16.98 MX$297

-39.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.04 MX$35.68

-15.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.32 MX$58.1

-24.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.66 MX$11.56

-21.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.21 MX$56.2

-2.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.23 MX$21.54

95.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$9.48 MX$166

-67.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.28 MX$22.31

-0.78%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$19.7K MX$345.3K

56.50%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$20.1K MX$352.6K

15.71%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$63.2 MX$1,106

29.80%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$23.57 MX$412

-4.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$28.31 MX$495

4.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$35.81 MX$627

44.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$16.00 MX$280

16.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.91 MX$103

-15.91%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$323 MX$5,645

-38.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,898 MX$85.7K

7.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$50.6 MX$885

-28.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$43.34 MX$758

-7.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$99.6 MX$1,743

-19.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$96.5 MX$1,689

-7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$499 MX$8,739

92.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$389 MX$6,811

19.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$918 MX$16.1K

73.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$768 MX$13.4K

57.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,784 MX$31.2K

120.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,095 MX$19.2K

488.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Cuautla: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $499 in Cuautla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $46.00 in Cuautla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $294 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 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,730 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $499 in Cuautla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $323 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 $46.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,154 in Cuautla versus $1,287 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 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.