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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,076 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,819 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,562 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cuernavaca 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$8.69 MX$147

37.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$41.14 MX$698

15.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.50 MX$127

56.67%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.67 MX$45.36

54.31%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.43 MX$24.22

-2.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.68 MX$11.53

33.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.69 MX$45.66

19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.51 MX$59.6

101.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.85 MX$31.35

-9.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$2.48 MX$42.03

-13.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.56 MX$26.41

13.46%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.18 MX$37.00

29.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.61 MX$146

6.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.18 MX$87.8

78.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$14.47 MX$245

-12.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.43 MX$41.17

21.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.45 MX$24.64

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.43 MX$41.27

-8.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.79 MX$30.42

31.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.92 MX$32.59

3.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.87 MX$31.77

5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.63 MX$27.66

-23.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.96 MX$16.37

26.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.82 MX$81.8

-4.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$9.07 MX$154

15.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.34 MX$22.68

26.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.50 MX$59.4

-20.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.56 MX$9.53

7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$29.80 MX$506

-0.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.11 MX$35.85

148.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$2.77 MX$47.00

31.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$11.62 MX$197

-50.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.46 MX$24.73

5.48%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$22.6K MX$383.5K

0.88%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$25.4K MX$431.3K

1.53%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$64.4 MX$1,092

40.86%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$19.57 MX$332

28.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$27.46 MX$466

15.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$28.38 MX$481

142.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.02 MX$102

-19.27%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$234 MX$3,966

-3.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$5,418 MX$91.9K

-22.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$43.69 MX$741

8.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$34.87 MX$592

24.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$101 MX$1,717

-20.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$104 MX$1,768

-12.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$421 MX$7,136

158.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$354 MX$6,012

15.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,008 MX$17.1K

95.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$862 MX$14.6K

48.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$957 MX$16.2K

322.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$652 MX$11.1K

927.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$709 MX$12.0K

9.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.4

0.44%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $421 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $41.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $252 per month, with Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $421 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Cuernavaca versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cuernavaca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.