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 $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,247 in Rosarito, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,978 in Rosarito, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,708 in Rosarito, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 7% 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 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$12.57 MX$213

3.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$37.03 MX$628

24.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$10.38 MX$176

21.29%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$4.50 MX$76.3

-11.11%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.45 MX$24.65

-2.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$1.31 MX$22.20

-38.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$3.51 MX$59.4

-13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$7.15 MX$121

-4.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.86 MX$31.56

-8.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$3.03 MX$51.3

-26.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.84 MX$31.11

-6.52%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$3.33 MX$56.4

-18.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$8.53 MX$145

9.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$7.54 MX$128

17.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$12.82 MX$217

-0.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$3.14 MX$53.2

-0.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.73 MX$29.32

-10.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.08 MX$35.24

3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.74 MX$29.41

35.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$1.62 MX$27.38

24.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.99 MX$33.68

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.65 MX$27.88

-24.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$1.13 MX$19.15

5.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$4.76 MX$80.6

-2.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$8.88 MX$150

17.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$2.41 MX$40.81

-34.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$4.32 MX$73.2

-32.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.68 MX$11.54

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$3.05 MX$51.6

74.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$2.29 MX$38.73

62.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$11.79 MX$200

-50.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.39 MX$23.60

11.51%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$22.9K MX$388.8K

-2.48%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$26.1K MX$441.6K

-1.86%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$51.3 MX$869

74.14%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$35.87 MX$608

-35.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$31.96 MX$542

-0.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$36.70 MX$622

87.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$20.51 MX$348

43.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$7.03 MX$119

-28.02%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$219 MX$3,708

1.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$4,917 MX$83.3K

-12.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$57.1 MX$967

-19.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$49.75 MX$843

-10.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$111 MX$1,882

-14.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$73.9 MX$1,252

25.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$647 MX$11.0K

65.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$440 MX$7,456

-10.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$1,002 MX$17.0K

98.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$944 MX$16.0K

38.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$1,732 MX$29.4K

133.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,376 MX$23.3K

381.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

12.07

-3.89%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Rosarito: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $647 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Rosarito. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Playa del Carmen vs $282 in Rosarito – so Playa del Carmen 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 Rosarito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 7%, 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 $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,871 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 $1,330 in Playa del Carmen and $1,247 in Rosarito. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $222 per month in Playa del Carmen and $219 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 $1,247, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. 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.