Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Los Cabos Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Los Cabos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,092 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,769 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,447 in Los Cabos.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 19% more expensive than in Los Cabos, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Los Cabos 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$204

$10.44 MX$181

12.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$725

$39.35 MX$683

6.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$181

$7.81 MX$135

33.29%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.23 MX$56.1

11.76%

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

$1.46 MX$25.28

$1.25 MX$21.62

16.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.96 MX$16.58

1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.8

$2.44 MX$42.33

19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.2

$3.93 MX$68.2

17.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.44 MX$25.01

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$2.52 MX$43.71

-24.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.18

$1.57 MX$27.30

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.73

$2.30 MX$39.92

14.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$146

$7.85 MX$136

7.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$149

$7.97 MX$138

7.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$191

$10.77 MX$187

2.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.91

$2.56 MX$44.47

5.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$1.41 MX$24.47

7.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.22

$1.70 MX$29.51

12.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.69

$1.66 MX$28.88

30.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.53

$1.86 MX$32.25

0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.76

$1.99 MX$34.56

12.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$1.26 MX$21.82

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.97 MX$16.92

10.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.2

$4.09 MX$71.0

1.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$179

$11.03 MX$191

-6.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.20

$1.62 MX$28.16

3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$2.87 MX$49.89

-11.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$0.62 MX$10.68

-11.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$2.66 MX$46.24

20.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.73

$1.59 MX$27.64

54.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$8.41 MX$146

-61.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$1.32 MX$22.92

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

$30.2K MX$523.3K

$20.7K MX$360.0K

45.34%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$22.6K MX$391.8K

3.63%

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

$81.4 MX$1,412

$56.4 MX$979

44.16%

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

$22.41 MX$389

$22.14 MX$384

1.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$520

$28.05 MX$487

6.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$35.25 MX$612

46.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$16.01 MX$278

14.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$89.6

$4.75 MX$82.5

8.63%

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

$202 MX$3,501

$207 MX$3,588

-2.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$92.2K

$3,570 MX$62.0K

48.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$618

$53.2 MX$923

-33.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$701

$39.16 MX$680

3.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,365

$88.7 MX$1,539

-11.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,507

$79.6 MX$1,381

9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.5K

$503 MX$8,729

88.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,298

$404 MX$7,011

18.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$28.1K

$931 MX$16.2K

74.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$757 MX$13.1K

61.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.6K

$1,973 MX$34.2K

103.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$112.3K

$1,250 MX$21.7K

418.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

$855 MX$14.8K

-21.32%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $503 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $249 per month, with Los Cabos cheaper across the board.

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 Los Cabos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Cabos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Los Cabos. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $503 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,092 in Los Cabos – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,092 in Los Cabos versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Los Cabos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Los Cabos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.