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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,261 in Guadalupe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,937 in Guadalupe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,613 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen and Guadalupe have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$9.71 MX$168

20.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$39.41 MX$682

6.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$9.60 MX$166

9.48%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.55 MX$61.5

1.13%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.99 MX$17.11

52.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.82 MX$14.21

12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.13 MX$36.90

38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$4.33 MX$74.9

1.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.66 MX$28.80

-15.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.60 MX$45.04

-27.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.95 MX$33.72

-20.00%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.71 MX$46.97

-3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.32 MX$178

-19.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$8.73 MX$151

-4.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.53 MX$234

-19.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.15 MX$54.5

-13.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.39 MX$24.13

8.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.04 MX$35.28

-8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.06 MX$35.73

6.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.35 MX$40.66

-20.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.57 MX$44.48

-13.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.55 MX$26.82

-30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.12 MX$19.41

-2.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.35 MX$75.2

-3.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.92 MX$189

-4.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.70 MX$29.37

-2.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.19 MX$55.3

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.62 MX$10.71

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.57 MX$27.18

96.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.01 MX$17.45

137.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$10.39 MX$180

-69.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.28 MX$22.08

2.34%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$26.7K MX$462.8K

11.43%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$26.1K MX$452.3K

-10.78%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$125 MX$2,157

-34.79%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$27.52 MX$476

-18.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$29.42 MX$509

2.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$35.88 MX$621

47.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$16.18 MX$280

13.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.63 MX$80.2

6.26%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$338 MX$5,848

-40.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$8,867 MX$153.4K

-41.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$59.8 MX$1,035

-39.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$41.98 MX$726

-4.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$109 MX$1,894

-27.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$127 MX$2,195

-31.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$516 MX$8,920

89.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$394 MX$6,825

19.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$939 MX$16.2K

75.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$755 MX$13.1K

59.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,019 MX$34.9K

95.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,214 MX$21.0K

444.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.55

-1.13%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Guadalupe: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $516 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Guadalupe. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $288 in Guadalupe – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,891 in Guadalupe. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $39.00 in Guadalupe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $338 in Guadalupe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,260, than in Guadalupe at $1,261. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guadalupe it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Guadalupe makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.