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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,128 in Kamez, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,715 in Kamez, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,302 in Kamez, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 12% more than Kamez, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kamez are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Kamez 18% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.60 MX$200
$10.18 ALL 807
13.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.11 MX$811
$40.00 ALL 3,170
17.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.88 MX$205
$7.40 ALL 586
60.54%
Cappuccino
$3.98 MX$68.5
$2.03 ALL 161
96.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 MX$24.57
$1.92 ALL 152
-25.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$14.20
$0.70 ALL 55.8
17.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$54.9
$2.46 ALL 195
29.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.79 MX$117
$3.49 ALL 277
94.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 MX$28.85
$2.01 ALL 159
-16.42%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$37.83
$0.95 ALL 75.3
131.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 MX$29.41
$2.06 ALL 164
-16.99%
Eggs
$2.74 MX$47.20
$2.64 ALL 209
3.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.58 MX$165
$10.58 ALL 839
-9.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.01 MX$155
$8.58 ALL 680
5.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.81 MX$221
$14.39 ALL 1,140
-10.98%
Apples (1kg)
$2.89 MX$49.74
$2.02 ALL 160
43.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$25.78
$2.27 ALL 180
-33.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.15 MX$36.98
$1.72 ALL 137
25.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.26 MX$38.91
$1.66 ALL 132
36.14%
Potato (1kg)
$1.98 MX$34.10
$1.05 ALL 83.0
88.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$34.26
$1.33 ALL 105
49.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 MX$21.25
$1.17 ALL 93.1
5.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$20.60
$0.78 ALL 61.6
53.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.55 MX$78.3
$4.36 ALL 346
4.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.37 MX$179
$10.17 ALL 806
1.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 MX$27.88
$1.80 ALL 143
-10.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 MX$49.60
$1.91 ALL 152
50.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 MX$10.34
$0.52 ALL 41.40
15.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.80 MX$496
$22.56 ALL 1,788
27.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$92.8
$3.74 ALL 297
44.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.73 MX$64.2
$3.71 ALL 294
0.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.77 MX$99.3
$18.58 ALL 1,472
-68.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 MX$26.45
$2.24 ALL 177
-31.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.5K MX$388.3K
$35.1K ALL 2.8M
-35.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K MX$448.7K
$25.7K ALL 2.0M
1.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.4 MX$1,573
$62.0 ALL 4,910
47.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.20 MX$434
$16.48 ALL 1,306
52.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.24 MX$538
$17.24 ALL 1,366
81.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 MX$1,157
$66.0 ALL 5,227
1.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.11 MX$501
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.86 MX$83.7
$8.59 ALL 681
-43.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$224 MX$3,851
$100 ALL 7,927
123.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,229 MX$72.8K
$8,294 ALL 657.3K
-49.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.10 MX$811
$51.3 ALL 4,067
-8.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.29 MX$763
$47.60 ALL 3,772
-6.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.1 MX$1,379
$99.1 ALL 7,854
-19.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.7 MX$1,596
$113 ALL 8,928
-17.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,063 MX$18.3K
$501 ALL 39.7K
112.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$390 MX$6,719
$364 ALL 28.9K
7.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,149 MX$37.0K
$673 ALL 53.3K
219.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 MX$21.9K
$426 ALL 33.8K
198.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,001 MX$68.9K
$1,618 ALL 128.2K
147.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,502 MX$112.0K
$1,231 ALL 97.5K
428.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Kamez
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$758 MX$13.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5
129.00%

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 Kamez: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $501 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $40.00 in Kamez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $258 – 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 in Kamez compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $1,128 in Kamez – roughly 12% 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,692 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 7% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $40.00 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 $1,128, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $1,128 in Kamez to $1,266 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.

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