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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $615 in Redcliff, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $991 in Redcliff, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,368 in Redcliff, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 112% more than Redcliff, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Redcliff are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Redcliff 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$10.13 ZWL 272

18.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$801

$39.30 ZWL 1,055

20.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.95 ZWL 160

97.48%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.7

$3.12 ZWL 83.9

32.05%

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

$1.40 MX$23.66

$0.98 ZWL 26.19

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.43

$0.53 ZWL 14.29

71.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.2

$1.51 ZWL 40.66

112.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.97 ZWL 53.0

258.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.35

$1.54 ZWL 41.31

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.36

$1.02 ZWL 27.45

110.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.00

$1.64 ZWL 44.11

7.93%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.60

$1.91 ZWL 51.4

47.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$12.16 ZWL 327

-24.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$5.63 ZWL 151

63.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$6.59 ZWL 177

91.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.90

$3.11 ZWL 83.6

-5.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.70

$1.66 ZWL 44.51

-4.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.58

$2.04 ZWL 54.8

8.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.96

$1.49 ZWL 39.99

58.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.70

$1.66 ZWL 44.46

19.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.47

$1.79 ZWL 48.02

10.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.97

$1.21 ZWL 32.43

2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.48

$1.01 ZWL 27.00

19.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.8

$2.04 ZWL 54.7

125.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$9.19 ZWL 247

14.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.60

$1.42 ZWL 38.17

19.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.91

$1.93 ZWL 51.7

43.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.19

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.5

$3.94 ZWL 106

32.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.7

$2.03 ZWL 54.5

79.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.8

$4.97 ZWL 133

16.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.01

$1.79 ZWL 47.96

-13.97%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$22.4K ZWL 600.2K

2.01%

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

$25.8K MX$436.5K

$27.1K ZWL 727.9K

-4.79%

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

$90.7 MX$1,533

$54.7 ZWL 1,468

65.82%

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

$25.19 MX$426

$21.56 ZWL 579

16.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$537

$66.2 ZWL 1,776

-52.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,163

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$497

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.2

$9.80 ZWL 263

-50.41%

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

$226 MX$3,816

$454 ZWL 12.2K

-50.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.9K

$8,954 ZWL 240.4K

-53.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$801

$24.70 ZWL 663

91.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$735

$21.24 ZWL 570

104.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,356

$40.16 ZWL 1,078

99.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,545

$41.48 ZWL 1,114

120.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,910

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

13.69

-16.36%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Redcliff: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Redcliff. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $220 – making Redcliff 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 Redcliff: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 112%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $922 in Redcliff. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $615 in Redcliff. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $454 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 $615, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.