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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,093 in Guadelupe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,742 in Guadelupe, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,392 in Guadelupe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Guadelupe, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Guadelupe are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Guadelupe 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$10.47 MX$183

14.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$38.25 MX$669

11.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.96 MX$139

33.04%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.27 MX$57.3

10.70%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.28 MX$22.37

14.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.98 MX$17.11

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.36 MX$41.34

30.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.83 MX$67.0

16.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.45 MX$25.33

-1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.53 MX$44.31

-25.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.63 MX$28.59

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.30 MX$40.24

14.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.99 MX$140

2.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.95 MX$139

4.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.61 MX$186

4.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.68 MX$46.95

-1.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.44 MX$25.19

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.78 MX$31.18

11.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.58 MX$27.65

31.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.83 MX$32.07

-2.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.00 MX$34.94

9.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.20 MX$20.99

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.98 MX$17.07

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.07 MX$71.3

-2.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.08 MX$194

-7.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.55 MX$27.12

11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.77 MX$48.44

-9.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.60 MX$10.49

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.61 MX$45.68

20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.61 MX$28.20

49.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.41 MX$147

-63.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.26 MX$22.04

0.79%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$21.3K MX$372.0K

45.26%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$22.6K MX$395.3K

3.22%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$56.6 MX$990

44.92%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$22.58 MX$395

-0.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$28.09 MX$492

5.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$35.87 MX$628

44.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$15.56 MX$272

19.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.72 MX$82.7

5.30%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$204 MX$3,564

-2.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,556 MX$62.2K

48.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$53.3 MX$933

-31.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$39.81 MX$697

0.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$89.2 MX$1,561

-10.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$78.8 MX$1,379

12.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$508 MX$8,885

89.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$395 MX$6,906

17.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$919 MX$16.1K

73.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$768 MX$13.4K

57.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,803 MX$31.6K

118.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,323 MX$23.1K

387.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.48

-0.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Guadelupe: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $508 in Guadelupe. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Guadelupe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $250 – making Guadelupe 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 Guadelupe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Guadelupe, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,639 in Guadelupe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guadelupe, 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 $38.00 in Guadelupe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guadelupe, where all-in costs run around $1,093, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Guadelupe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guadelupe costs $1,093 versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Guadelupe. 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.