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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,189 in Cuautla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,855 in Cuautla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,522 in Cuautla.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 6% more expensive than in Cuautla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cuautla 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$9.80 MX$170

19.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$46.57 MX$806

-10.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.77 MX$134

35.26%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.65 MX$63.1

-1.64%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.31 MX$22.68

15.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.01 MX$17.50

-8.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.33 MX$40.31

27.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$4.18 MX$72.4

5.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.61 MX$27.86

-13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.68 MX$46.45

-29.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.97 MX$34.05

-20.81%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.29 MX$39.59

13.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.25 MX$143

0.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$9.61 MX$166

-13.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$12.91 MX$223

-15.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.62 MX$62.7

-25.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.47 MX$25.46

2.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.85 MX$31.93

1.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.74 MX$30.06

25.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.76 MX$30.45

5.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.82 MX$31.43

22.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.31 MX$22.64

-18.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.11 MX$19.28

-1.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.34 MX$75.1

-3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$17.50 MX$303

-40.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.94 MX$33.48

-14.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.21 MX$55.5

-18.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.66 MX$11.42

-18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.11 MX$53.7

-0.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.19 MX$20.66

101.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$9.20 MX$159

-65.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.22 MX$21.07

7.38%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$19.7K MX$341.5K

51.02%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$20.9K MX$361.2K

11.72%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$63.3 MX$1,096

28.34%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$23.46 MX$406

-3.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$28.52 MX$493

5.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$36.39 MX$630

45.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$16.17 MX$280

13.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.05 MX$105

-18.68%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$321 MX$5,552

-37.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,838 MX$83.7K

6.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$51.4 MX$889

-30.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$42.39 MX$733

-5.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$98.5 MX$1,704

-19.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$95.7 MX$1,656

-9.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$513 MX$8,884

90.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$397 MX$6,875

18.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$935 MX$16.2K

76.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$751 MX$13.0K

60.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,060 MX$35.6K

91.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,143 MX$19.8K

477.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cuautla: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $513 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 $252 vs $293 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 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,784 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $513 in Cuautla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $321 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 $1,189 in Cuautla versus $1,260 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 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.