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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,093 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,760 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,427 in Los Cabos.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 18% more expensive than Los Cabos, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Los Cabos 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$10.62 MX$186

12.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$39.18 MX$686

9.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$8.06 MX$141

31.39%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.29 MX$57.6

10.03%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.23 MX$21.56

19.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.99 MX$17.27

-5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.41 MX$42.19

28.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.89 MX$68.0

14.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.50 MX$26.23

-4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.60 MX$45.50

-27.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.63 MX$28.54

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.36 MX$41.36

11.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.89 MX$138

4.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.66 MX$134

8.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.55 MX$185

5.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.61 MX$45.59

1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.38 MX$24.13

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.80 MX$31.47

10.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.64 MX$28.74

26.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.92 MX$33.69

-6.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.94 MX$33.91

12.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.19 MX$20.89

-9.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.01 MX$17.76

2.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.26 MX$74.6

-6.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.01 MX$193

-7.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.59 MX$27.91

8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.76 MX$48.21

-9.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.61 MX$10.69

-14.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.61 MX$45.59

20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.59 MX$27.91

50.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.21 MX$144

-62.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.32 MX$23.07

-3.79%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$21.5K MX$376.3K

43.60%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$22.2K MX$387.9K

5.18%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$56.0 MX$981

46.34%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$22.04 MX$386

1.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$27.65 MX$484

7.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$35.87 MX$628

44.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$15.92 MX$279

17.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.52 MX$79.1

9.96%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$205 MX$3,592

-3.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,627 MX$63.5K

45.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$52.4 MX$917

-30.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$40.06 MX$701

-0.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$91.2 MX$1,597

-12.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$80.0 MX$1,399

11.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$504 MX$8,826

91.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$394 MX$6,897

17.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$949 MX$16.6K

68.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$762 MX$13.3K

58.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,992 MX$34.9K

97.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,288 MX$22.5K

400.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$854 MX$14.9K

-15.66%

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 Los Cabos: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $504 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 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 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Los Cabos earns 19% less. 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $504 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,093 in Los Cabos – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,093 in Los Cabos versus $1,287 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 18% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.