Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rosarito and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Rosarito and in Playa del Carmen: $1,173 and $1,215 a month, rent and utilities included.

58

Cost of Living Index in Rosarito
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Rosarito Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Rosarito

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,173

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,173 per month in Rosarito vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rosarito $1,173
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $1,900 per month in Rosarito vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rosarito $1,900
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $2,628 per month in Rosarito vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rosarito $2,628
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Rosarito is about 4% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rosarito and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Rosarito 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.41 MX$228

$10.97 MX$201

13.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.87 MX$640

$44.85 MX$823

-22.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 MX$180

$11.92 MX$219

-17.62%

Cappuccino

$4.26 MX$78.2

$3.80 MX$69.9

12.11%

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

$1.37 MX$25.20

$1.31 MX$24.08

4.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.83

$0.86 MX$15.72

44.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 MX$62.7

$3.21 MX$59.0

6.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 MX$121

$5.01 MX$92.0

31.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MX$33.03

$1.46 MX$26.77

23.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 MX$55.3

$2.33 MX$42.72

29.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MX$32.27

$1.44 MX$26.48

22.22%

Eggs

$3.31 MX$60.7

$2.46 MX$45.20

34.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$153

$7.70 MX$141

8.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 MX$134

$7.89 MX$145

-7.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.88 MX$218

$12.80 MX$235

-7.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$52.5

$2.92 MX$53.6

-2.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MX$30.79

$1.42 MX$26.11

18.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$35.02

$2.57 MX$47.10

-25.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 MX$30.30

$2.14 MX$39.24

-22.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 MX$28.93

$1.95 MX$35.75

-18.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$35.07

$1.94 MX$35.55

-1.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.15 MX$21.13

27.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$19.73

$1.22 MX$22.42

-12.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.37 MX$80.2

$4.38 MX$80.3

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 MX$151

$9.85 MX$181

-16.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 MX$42.15

$1.54 MX$28.23

49.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$75.5

$2.72 MX$49.86

51.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$12.11

$0.52 MX$9.64

26.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 MX$55.2

$4.91 MX$90.2

-38.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 MX$41.84

$3.52 MX$64.7

-35.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.05 MX$203

$5.69 MX$104

94.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$24.12

$1.54 MX$28.27

-14.94%

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

$21.2K MX$389.6K

$21.2K MX$389.9K

-0.09%

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

$24.4K MX$448.8K

$24.5K MX$449.6K

-0.17%

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

$48.34 MX$887

$83.6 MX$1,535

-42.18%

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

$34.02 MX$625

$24.03 MX$441

41.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.93 MX$550

$29.33 MX$539

2.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.33 MX$649

$64.9 MX$1,191

-45.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 MX$369

$29.46 MX$541

-31.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.88 MX$126

$5.09 MX$93.4

35.17%

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

$210 MX$3,849

$208 MX$3,813

0.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,684 MX$86.0K

$4,045 MX$74.3K

15.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MX$1,000

$44.55 MX$818

22.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.77 MX$859

$42.06 MX$772

11.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,901

$75.5 MX$1,387

37.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 MX$1,277

$91.4 MX$1,678

-23.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 MX$11.5K

$986 MX$18.1K

-36.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$7,274

$385 MX$7,072

2.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 MX$19.0K

$1,713 MX$31.5K

-39.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 MX$14.2K

$1,108 MX$20.4K

-30.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,894 MX$34.8K

$4,016 MX$73.7K

-52.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,146 MX$21.0K

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-81.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.07

11.45

5.41%

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

Last update for Rosarito: October 4, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rosarito

$396 33.4%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 2.8% $11

Groceries & Markets

Rosarito

$269 22.7%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 3.4% $9

Eating Out

Rosarito

$220 18.6%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 7.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Rosarito

$123 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 7.6% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rosarito

$112 9.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 22% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Rosarito

$49 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 52.9% $26

Getting Around

Rosarito

$17 * 1.4%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 205% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $624 in Rosarito versus $986 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $35.00 in Rosarito versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Rosarito vs $260 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Rosarito

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

05:45 5:45 AM

2 h ahead of Rosarito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,660

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rosarito Playa del Carmen 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Rosarito
Playa del Carmen

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

Rosarito vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,759 per month in Rosarito and $1,823 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $1,173 in Rosarito and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 4%.

Kindergarten costs $210 per month in Rosarito and $208 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $1,173, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. 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.