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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,000 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,665 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,329 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 27% more expensive than Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cuernavaca 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$9.41 MX$164

26.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$747

$36.50 MX$636

17.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$6.95 MX$121

53.24%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.1

$2.25 MX$39.27

53.33%

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

$1.50 MX$26.19

$1.30 MX$22.58

15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.52

$0.78 MX$13.54

21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.7

$2.31 MX$40.25

31.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.3

$3.09 MX$53.8

49.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.96

$1.55 MX$26.94

-10.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.18

$1.72 MX$30.03

7.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.06

$1.34 MX$23.37

20.15%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.18

$1.86 MX$32.46

39.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$8.11 MX$141

1.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$6.21 MX$108

34.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$13.05 MX$227

-18.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.80

$2.14 MX$37.28

22.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.92

$1.33 MX$23.20

12.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.44

$1.71 MX$29.81

12.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.34

$1.56 MX$27.23

33.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.35

$1.73 MX$30.21

7.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.39

$1.89 MX$32.85

19.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.51

$0.96 MX$16.73

10.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.95

$0.77 MX$13.46

41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.3

$4.10 MX$71.5

1.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$8.47 MX$147

22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.03

$1.12 MX$19.48

53.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.52

$2.89 MX$50.3

-9.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.44

$0.55 MX$9.53

-1.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$469

$26.25 MX$457

2.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$1.88 MX$32.83

66.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.73

$1.24 MX$21.61

102.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.9

$9.47 MX$165

-66.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.21

$1.27 MX$22.20

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

$30.4K MX$529.1K

$18.7K MX$325.7K

62.47%

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

$23.6K MX$410.5K

$20.7K MX$360.5K

13.87%

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

$83.0 MX$1,446

$60.5 MX$1,054

37.17%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$22.55 MX$393

0.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$513

$28.25 MX$492

4.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$888

$22.93 MX$400

122.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$319

$15.70 MX$274

16.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.8

$5.43 MX$94.5

-9.21%

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

$197 MX$3,437

$212 MX$3,689

-6.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.0K

$4,925 MX$85.8K

7.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$643

$48.01 MX$836

-23.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$695

$39.50 MX$688

0.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,394

$100 MX$1,747

-20.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,559

$82.0 MX$1,429

9.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$380 MX$6,626

151.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,311

$312 MX$5,434

52.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

$899 MX$15.7K

83.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.3K

$773 MX$13.5K

58.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.3K

$903 MX$15.7K

333.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.5K

$632 MX$11.0K

922.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

$679 MX$11.8K

-1.71%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $380 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $224 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 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cuernavaca earns 2% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $380 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 $36.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,000 in Cuernavaca versus $1,271 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 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.