Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Varadero

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Varadero: $1,204 and $1,173 a month, rent and utilities included.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Varadero
Learn more

Varadero Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Varadero

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Varadero

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Varadero actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,173 in Varadero, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Varadero $1,173

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,546 in Varadero, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Varadero $1,546

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,920 in Varadero, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Varadero $1,920

Playa del Carmen costs about 3% more than Varadero, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Varadero are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Varadero 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$3.59 CUP 86.2

204.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$810

$19.95 CUP 479

117.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$5.12 CUP 123

130.08%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.2

$1.01 CUP 24.20

277.23%

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

$1.28 MX$23.96

$1.58 CUP 37.97

-18.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.63

$0.99 CUP 23.81

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.2

$1.22 CUP 29.24

159.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.2

$2.01 CUP 48.31

145.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.28

$2.71 CUP 65.0

-47.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.43

$1.48 CUP 35.41

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.48

$1.50 CUP 35.98

-5.33%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.14

$2.16 CUP 51.9

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$4.51 CUP 108

60.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$4.41 CUP 106

74.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$8.74 CUP 210

45.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.0

$3.49 CUP 83.7

-20.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.56

$1.05 CUP 25.28

30.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.66

$1.58 CUP 37.96

61.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.67

$1.61 CUP 38.52

31.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.22

$2.21 CUP 53.1

-12.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.24

$2.77 CUP 66.4

-31.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.42

$0.66 CUP 15.78

74.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.03

$0.52 CUP 12.57

126.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.3

$1.63 CUP 39.22

163.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$5.28 CUP 127

88.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.59

$0.89 CUP 21.29

77.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.91

$2.15 CUP 51.7

24.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.34

$0.09 CUP 2.13

511.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$497

$15.73 CUP 378

69.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.9

$1.98 CUP 47.41

151.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.2

$0.34 CUP 8.10

879.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$19.68 CUP 472

-72.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.98

$1.33 CUP 31.91

8.27%

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

$20.7K MX$386.2K

$70.4K CUP 1.7M

-70.66%

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

$23.5K MX$438.5K

$81.3K CUP 2.0M

-71.13%

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

$84.8 MX$1,584

$39.23 CUP 941

116.14%

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

$23.41 MX$437

$39.53 CUP 949

-40.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$535

$91.0 CUP 2,184

-68.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,066

$39.45 CUP 947

44.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$540

$15.04 CUP 361

92.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.0

$0.88 CUP 21.05

484.09%

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

$207 MX$3,860

$89.4 CUP 2,144

131.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.4K

$12.6K CUP 302.0K

-68.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$810

$39.42 CUP 946

9.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$774

$30.09 CUP 722

37.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,386

$75.7 CUP 1,818

-2.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,668

$68.0 CUP 1,631

31.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$492 CUP 11.8K

99.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,116

$573 CUP 13.7K

-33.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.9K

$1,197 CUP 28.7K

42.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$644 CUP 15.5K

66.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.7K

$396 CUP 9,494

896.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.1K

$347 CUP 8,323

1675.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$19.53 CUP 469

3660.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.1

25.82%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Varadero: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Varadero

$573 48.9% 50.4% $192

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Varadero

$197 16.8% 22.8% $58

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Varadero

$77 6.5% 62.1% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Varadero

$170 14.5% 24% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Varadero

$96 8.2% 14.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Varadero

$41 3.5% 38.8% $26

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Varadero

$20 1.7% 60.9% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $492 in Varadero. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 38 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $20 in Varadero. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $197 – making Varadero the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇺 Varadero

🕒 Local time

06:15 6:15 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

27,170

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.71 CUP (100 CUP = 3.74 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Varadero 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Varadero

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Varadero: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,759 in Varadero. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varadero, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $492 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,173 in Varadero. That’s a gap of about 3%.

Public transport costs about 41% less in Varadero. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,173 in Varadero. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Varadero – 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 Varadero. 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.