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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $628 in Redcliff, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,024 in Redcliff, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,420 in Redcliff, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 100% more than Redcliff, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Redcliff are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Redcliff 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$9.93 ZWL 265

20.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$50.3 ZWL 1,343

-17.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.97 ZWL 186

54.23%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.99 ZWL 79.7

17.06%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.72 ZWL 19.12

101.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.43 ZWL 11.59

104.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.47 ZWL 39.28

100.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.04 ZWL 54.3

121.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.55 ZWL 41.44

-7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.01 ZWL 27.01

82.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.87 ZWL 50.0

-16.04%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.14 ZWL 57.0

17.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$11.10 ZWL 296

-25.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.33 ZWL 169

33.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$6.57 ZWL 175

62.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.91 ZWL 77.6

-10.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.70 ZWL 45.47

-15.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.28 ZWL 60.9

-14.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.65 ZWL 44.15

26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.49 ZWL 39.84

24.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.96 ZWL 52.4

10.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.95 ZWL 25.45

8.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.01 ZWL 26.84

5.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.12 ZWL 29.82

266.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.31 ZWL 248

9.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.17 ZWL 31.30

43.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.78 ZWL 47.46

42.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.96 ZWL 132

-34.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

17.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.08 ZWL 136

-36.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.61 ZWL 42.96

-18.01%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$19.7K ZWL 524.3K

51.12%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$23.2K ZWL 618.9K

2.00%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$59.3 ZWL 1,581

38.39%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$17.84 ZWL 476

28.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$92.0 ZWL 2,455

-67.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$9.95 ZWL 265

-49.95%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$283 ZWL 7,555

-30.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$7,305 ZWL 194.9K

-26.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$19.73 ZWL 526

80.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$21.03 ZWL 561

91.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$34.47 ZWL 920

128.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$40.63 ZWL 1,084

118.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Redcliff: July 12, 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 $221 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 100%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $942 in Redcliff. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $628 in Redcliff. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $283 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 $628, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.