Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cuernavaca

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Cuernavaca: $1,204 and $1,208 a month, rent and utilities included.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Cuernavaca
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Cuernavaca Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Cuernavaca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Cuernavaca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Cuernavaca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,208 in Cuernavaca.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Cuernavaca $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,788 in Cuernavaca.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Cuernavaca $1,788

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,368 in Cuernavaca.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Cuernavaca $2,368

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Cuernavaca 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$7.98 MX$148

36.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$807

$37.14 MX$691

16.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$6.83 MX$127

72.47%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$70.9

$2.48 MX$46.10

53.63%

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

$1.28 MX$23.87

$1.31 MX$24.36

-2.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.57

$0.61 MX$11.38

27.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$2.44 MX$45.35

29.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$3.27 MX$60.9

50.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.18

$1.62 MX$30.20

-12.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.27

$2.21 MX$41.13

0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.38

$1.42 MX$26.40

Eggs

$2.52 MX$46.96

$1.89 MX$35.09

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$7.76 MX$144

-6.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$4.82 MX$89.7

59.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$13.55 MX$252

-6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.8

$2.21 MX$41.10

25.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.47

$1.32 MX$24.63

3.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.49

$2.22 MX$41.29

14.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.52

$1.66 MX$30.83

27.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.08

$1.76 MX$32.81

10.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.11

$1.71 MX$31.82

10.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.34

$1.49 MX$27.79

-22.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.95

$0.83 MX$15.45

42.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$4.23 MX$78.8

1.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$8.03 MX$149

23.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.48

$1.21 MX$22.54

30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.72

$3.30 MX$61.4

-19.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.30

$0.71 MX$13.26

-22.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$495

$34.93 MX$650

-23.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.5

$1.91 MX$35.49

160.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.0

$2.49 MX$46.43

33.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.7

$10.64 MX$198

-49.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.88

$1.33 MX$24.85

8.27%

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

$20.7K MX$384.7K

$24.5K MX$455.2K

-15.49%

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

$23.5K MX$436.8K

$23.4K MX$434.9K

0.44%

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

$84.8 MX$1,578

$56.4 MX$1,050

50.39%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$18.52 MX$345

26.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$533

$24.73 MX$460

15.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,062

$29.09 MX$541

96.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$538

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$5.24 MX$97.5

-1.91%

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

$207 MX$3,845

$218 MX$4,056

-5.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.1K

$5,055 MX$94.1K

-22.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$807

$40.44 MX$753

7.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$771

$32.23 MX$600

28.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,381

$92.5 MX$1,722

-19.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,661

$97.7 MX$1,819

-8.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$619 MX$11.5K

58.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,089

$529 MX$9,845

-27.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$901 MX$16.8K

89.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$803 MX$15.0K

33.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.4K

$851 MX$15.8K

363.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.6K

$594 MX$11.1K

936.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$638 MX$11.9K

15.21%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Cuernavaca

$529 43.8% 38.9% $148

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Cuernavaca

$229 19% 10.1% $26

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Cuernavaca

$140 11.6% 30.6% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Cuernavaca

$100 8.3% 27.2% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Cuernavaca

$118 9.8% 5.9% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Cuernavaca

$40 3.3% 41.2% $28

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cuernavaca

$52 4.3% 3.4% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $619 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 15% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $37 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $229 per month, with Cuernavaca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Cuernavaca

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

02:20 2:20 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

341,029

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.83 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Cuernavaca 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Cuernavaca

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Average pay runs 15% 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $619 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 24% less than in Cuernavaca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Shoppers in Cuernavaca pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Playa del Carmen gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.