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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $621 in Redcliff, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,037 in Redcliff, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,454 in Redcliff, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 109% more than Redcliff, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Playa del Carmen and Redcliff are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Redcliff 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.20 ZWL 274

15.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$50.2 ZWL 1,349

-17.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.02 ZWL 189

51.57%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.93 ZWL 78.8

20.14%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.70 ZWL 18.89

115.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.43 ZWL 11.54

125.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.52 ZWL 40.86

94.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$1.98 ZWL 53.1

124.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.57 ZWL 42.31

-12.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.02 ZWL 27.31

85.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.94 ZWL 52.3

-15.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.07 ZWL 55.6

21.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$11.04 ZWL 297

-24.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.36 ZWL 171

31.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.41 ZWL 172

67.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.97 ZWL 79.9

-12.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.62 ZWL 43.68

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$2.27 ZWL 60.9

-16.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.71 ZWL 46.00

21.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.56 ZWL 41.91

14.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$2.00 ZWL 53.8

9.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.95 ZWL 25.66

9.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.01 ZWL 27.08

6.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.08 ZWL 28.98

277.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$9.01 ZWL 242

14.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.14 ZWL 30.64

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.80 ZWL 48.40

43.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$5.06 ZWL 136

-35.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.99 ZWL 53.5

25.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$5.15 ZWL 138

-36.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.54 ZWL 41.47

-14.94%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$19.6K ZWL 527.2K

54.45%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$22.9K ZWL 617.1K

2.09%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$59.4 ZWL 1,598

39.46%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$17.90 ZWL 481

24.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$91.8 ZWL 2,469

-68.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$10.09 ZWL 271

-49.75%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$275 ZWL 7,396

-26.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$7,285 ZWL 195.9K

-28.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$19.51 ZWL 525

89.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$21.07 ZWL 567

88.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$34.67 ZWL 932

126.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$41.04 ZWL 1,104

112.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.31

-14.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Redcliff: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $50.0 in Redcliff. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $220 in Redcliff – so Redcliff wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Redcliff: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 109%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $932 in Redcliff. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $621 in Redcliff. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $275 in Redcliff. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Redcliff, where all-in costs run around $621, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Redcliff it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Redcliff – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Redcliff. 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.