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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,117 in Rosarito, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,738 in Rosarito, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,360 in Rosarito, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 16% more than Rosarito, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Rosarito are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Rosarito 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$11.83 MX$204

-0.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$31.40 MX$540

33.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$8.03 MX$138

29.64%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$3.84 MX$66.1

-5.99%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.14 MX$19.67

28.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.98 MX$16.78

-1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.95 MX$50.8

-1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$5.12 MX$88.1

-9.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.56 MX$26.92

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$2.47 MX$42.42

-23.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.81 MX$31.11

-13.26%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$3.17 MX$54.5

-16.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$7.35 MX$127

14.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$5.70 MX$98.1

50.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$10.24 MX$176

7.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.60 MX$44.66

3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.50 MX$25.77

0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.83 MX$31.43

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.66 MX$28.51

30.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.67 MX$28.75

11.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.82 MX$31.28

22.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.06 MX$18.32

1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.01 MX$17.40

5.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$8.88 MX$153

15.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.86 MX$31.98

-9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$3.32 MX$57.1

-23.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.65 MX$11.17

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$2.84 MX$48.92

12.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.58 MX$27.23

55.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$3.12 MX$53.7

2.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.25 MX$21.44

5.60%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$23.4K MX$401.9K

29.09%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$20.2K MX$348.3K

15.58%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$56.4 MX$970

44.37%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$27.77 MX$478

-19.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$31.42 MX$541

-4.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$35.53 MX$611

45.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$15.78 MX$272

16.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$4.57 MX$78.7

12.91%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$204 MX$3,509

-1.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$2,762 MX$47.5K

92.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$43.64 MX$751

-18.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$34.76 MX$598

16.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$89.0 MX$1,531

-11.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$69.5 MX$1,196

24.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$516 MX$8,876

84.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$391 MX$6,730

22.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$920 MX$15.8K

76.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$751 MX$12.9K

62.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$1,736 MX$29.9K

130.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,104 MX$19.0K

486.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.8

-3.22%

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 Rosarito: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $516 in Rosarito. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $31.00 in Rosarito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $238 – making Rosarito 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 Rosarito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 16%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,675 in Rosarito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rosarito, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $1,117 in Rosarito. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $204 in Rosarito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rosarito, where all-in costs run around $1,117, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. In Rosarito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rosarito – 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 Rosarito. 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.