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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,111 in Kamez, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,626 in Kamez, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,140 in Kamez, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 14% more than Kamez, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kamez are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kamez 17% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.87 MX$204
$9.23 ALL 754
28.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.90 MX$736
$36.89 ALL 3,014
16.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 MX$183
$7.12 ALL 582
49.58%
Cappuccino
$3.45 MX$59.2
$1.96 ALL 160
76.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 MX$25.81
$1.63 ALL 133
-7.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.95 MX$16.28
$0.81 ALL 66.1
17.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.03 MX$51.9
$2.29 ALL 187
32.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 MX$79.1
$3.35 ALL 273
37.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 MX$23.61
$2.06 ALL 168
-33.01%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 MX$31.70
$0.92 ALL 75.0
101.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 MX$27.65
$1.95 ALL 160
-17.44%
Eggs
$2.59 MX$44.51
$3.05 ALL 249
-15.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.26 MX$142
$9.88 ALL 808
-16.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.37 MX$144
$7.69 ALL 628
8.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.66 MX$183
$13.01 ALL 1,063
-18.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.63 MX$45.12
$1.71 ALL 140
53.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 MX$25.53
$2.37 ALL 194
-37.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 MX$32.94
$1.72 ALL 141
11.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.09 MX$35.81
$1.34 ALL 109
55.97%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 MX$31.88
$1.05 ALL 85.6
77.14%
Onion (1kg)
$2.26 MX$38.81
$1.24 ALL 102
82.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.06 MX$18.23
$1.14 ALL 93.1
-7.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 MX$18.67
$0.74 ALL 60.2
47.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.15 MX$71.2
$4.11 ALL 336
0.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.39 MX$178
$9.76 ALL 798
6.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 MX$29.59
$1.59 ALL 130
8.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 MX$44.85
$1.75 ALL 143
49.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.54 MX$9.30
$0.45 ALL 36.89
20.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.94 MX$462
$18.94 ALL 1,548
42.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.13 MX$53.7
$3.59 ALL 294
-12.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.51 MX$43.09
$3.19 ALL 261
-21.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.15 MX$54.1
$17.44 ALL 1,425
-81.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 MX$21.88
$2.15 ALL 175
-40.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.4K MX$521.3K
$34.8K ALL 2.8M
-12.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K MX$404.5K
$25.5K ALL 2.1M
-7.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 MX$1,425
$67.5 ALL 5,516
22.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.71 MX$390
$17.61 ALL 1,438
28.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.46 MX$506
$15.79 ALL 1,290
86.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 MX$875
$55.0 ALL 4,496
-7.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.33 MX$315
$25.47 ALL 2,081
-28.03%
Cinema Ticket
$4.93 MX$84.5
$8.18 ALL 668
-39.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$197 MX$3,386
$162 ALL 13.2K
21.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,280 MX$90.6K
$5,650 ALL 461.6K
-6.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.90 MX$633
$47.40 ALL 3,872
-22.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.89 MX$685
$50.2 ALL 4,097
-20.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.0 MX$1,373
$94.9 ALL 7,753
-15.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.5 MX$1,536
$131 ALL 10.7K
-31.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$956 MX$16.4K
$447 ALL 36.6K
113.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$477 MX$8,189
$339 ALL 27.7K
40.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,646 MX$28.3K
$606 ALL 49.5K
171.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,225 MX$21.0K
$428 ALL 35.0K
185.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,918 MX$67.2K
$2,062 ALL 168.5K
90.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,459 MX$110.9K
$1,430 ALL 116.8K
351.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$667 MX$11.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.42
4
185.50%

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 Kamez: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $447 in Kamez. 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 $37.00 in Kamez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $243 – making Kamez 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 Kamez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and Kamez compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $1,111 in Kamez – roughly 14% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Kamez?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,666 in Kamez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Kamez?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kamez, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 3% 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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $37.00 in Kamez. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kamez, where all-in costs run around $1,111, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Kamez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Kamez?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,111 in Kamez to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Playa del Carmen or Kamez safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Kamez?
If budget matters most, go with Kamez. 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.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities