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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,203 in Guadalupe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,995 in Guadalupe, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,786 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 5% more than Guadalupe, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Guadalupe are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Guadalupe 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$11.65 MX$200

-0.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$52.3 MX$897

-9.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$10.59 MX$182

12.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$4.26 MX$73.2

-6.57%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.43 MX$24.52

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$1.06 MX$18.13

-22.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.34 MX$40.22

36.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.54 MX$78.0

49.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.55 MX$26.52

8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$3.07 MX$52.8

-28.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.96 MX$33.70

-12.76%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.53 MX$43.38

8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$11.17 MX$192

-14.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.87 MX$152

1.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$10.45 MX$179

22.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.84 MX$48.75

1.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.34 MX$23.03

11.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.76 MX$30.21

22.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.13 MX$36.59

6.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.38 MX$40.93

-16.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.76 MX$47.33

-27.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.33 MX$22.89

-7.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.16 MX$19.86

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$4.76 MX$81.7

-4.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$10.74 MX$184

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$2.00 MX$34.27

-19.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.62 MX$27.73

77.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.67 MX$11.46

-10.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.92 MX$32.96

180.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.18 MX$20.32

216.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$11.55 MX$198

-50.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.51 MX$25.97

1.99%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$20.7K MX$355.1K

8.99%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$25.3K MX$433.8K

3.11%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$50.7 MX$870

80.38%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$27.75 MX$476

-9.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$32.30 MX$554

-3.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$36.76 MX$631

82.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$19.38 MX$333

50.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$5.63 MX$96.6

-13.68%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$249 MX$4,273

-10.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$4,866 MX$83.5K

-13.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$61.7 MX$1,059

-23.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$45.38 MX$779

-2.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$92.5 MX$1,588

-13.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$129 MX$2,221

-28.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$554 MX$9,504

91.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$352 MX$6,036

10.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,124 MX$19.3K

91.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$819 MX$14.1K

55.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$2,007 MX$34.5K

99.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,347 MX$23.1K

382.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.53

8.74%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Guadalupe: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $554 in Guadalupe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $52.0 in Guadalupe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $280 – 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 Guadalupe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 5%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,805 in Guadalupe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guadalupe, 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $52.0 in Guadalupe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guadalupe, where all-in costs run around $1,203, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Guadalupe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guadalupe – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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