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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,317 in Curepe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,266 in Curepe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,216 in Curepe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 4% cheaper than Curepe, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Playa del Carmen and Curepe are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Curepe 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.30 TTD 69.6

15.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$87.4 TTD 591

-50.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.33 TTD 49.55

45.29%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.66 TTD 24.73

-5.74%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.09 TTD 7.40

37.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.82 TTD 5.54

15.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.81 TTD 12.20

67.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.14 TTD 21.20

46.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.88 TTD 12.68

-26.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.25 TTD 15.24

-17.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.08 TTD 14.05

-22.60%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.93 TTD 19.79

-11.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.83 TTD 52.9

5.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$10.20 TTD 69.0

-17.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.72 TTD 79.3

-9.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.21 TTD 21.70

-18.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.63 TTD 17.79

-43.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$4.21 TTD 28.45

-54.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.65 TTD 31.43

-55.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.48 TTD 9.98

25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.61 TTD 10.85

40.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.05 TTD 7.08

0.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.77 TTD 5.23

41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.52 TTD 30.54

-8.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$13.35 TTD 90.2

-22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.82 TTD 12.29

-5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.20 TTD 14.86

18.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.56 TTD 3.81

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.04 TTD 7.04

200.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.26 TTD 8.53

99.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$14.80 TTD 100

-78.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.13 TTD 7.65

12.39%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$34.6K TTD 233.7K

-12.14%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$38.4K TTD 259.6K

-38.63%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$81.6 TTD 552

1.67%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$46.50 TTD 314

-51.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$62.5 TTD 422

-52.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$10.01 TTD 67.7

-50.75%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$328 TTD 2,214

-39.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,216 TTD 48.8K

-26.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$59.9 TTD 405

-38.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$38.92 TTD 263

2.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$146 TTD 986

-45.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$126 TTD 850

-28.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$729 TTD 4,930

31.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$446 TTD 3,015

7.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,466 TTD 9,913

12.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,129 TTD 7,634

8.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$526 TTD 3,556

26.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.38

112.27%

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 Curepe: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $729 in Curepe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Playa del Carmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $87.0 in Curepe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $304 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Curepe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $1,317 in Curepe – roughly 4% apart. Curepe costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,976 in Curepe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $87.0 in Curepe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Curepe, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Curepe at $1,317. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Curepe it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,271 in Playa del Carmen to $1,317 in Curepe. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Curepe makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.