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: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $985 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,667 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,350 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 28% more expensive than Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Cuernavaca 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$9.83 MX$170

18.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$37.65 MX$653

11.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$6.90 MX$120

50.72%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.23 MX$38.70

61.88%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.29 MX$22.38

13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.78 MX$13.45

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.23 MX$38.64

35.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$3.15 MX$54.6

41.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.55 MX$26.90

-10.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$1.74 MX$30.22

5.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.38 MX$23.94

16.67%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$1.79 MX$31.05

43.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$8.12 MX$141

4.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$6.19 MX$107

37.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$13.26 MX$230

-17.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.15 MX$37.21

26.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.27 MX$22.03

18.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.80 MX$31.23

8.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.61 MX$27.84

31.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.72 MX$29.73

8.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.89 MX$32.78

14.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.97 MX$16.77

10.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.71 MX$12.31

47.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$4.16 MX$72.0

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$8.86 MX$154

16.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.14 MX$19.82

46.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.88 MX$49.97

-13.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.54 MX$9.41

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$26.38 MX$457

-0.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.90 MX$32.86

63.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.19 MX$20.68

106.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$8.98 MX$156

-63.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.25 MX$21.66

0.80%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$18.3K MX$316.7K

65.05%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$20.5K MX$355.9K

14.16%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$60.2 MX$1,043

39.54%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$22.75 MX$394

-2.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$28.66 MX$497

3.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$22.68 MX$393

132.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$16.11 MX$279

13.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$5.43 MX$94.1

-8.84%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$211 MX$3,658

-6.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$4,851 MX$84.1K

9.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$46.77 MX$810

-23.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$39.86 MX$691

0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$99.8 MX$1,729

-21.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$83.0 MX$1,438

4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$369 MX$6,396

164.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$323 MX$5,604

45.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$904 MX$15.7K

76.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$785 MX$13.6K

54.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$941 MX$16.3K

328.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$625 MX$10.8K

953.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$690 MX$12.0K

3.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.33

0.79%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $369 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3% 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: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $38 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $225 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 3% more on average, 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $369 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% 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 $38.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $985 in Cuernavaca versus $1,261 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 28% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.