Cost of Living: Cancun vs Playa del Carmen (2026)

Mexico vs Mexico — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Cancun

Playa del Carmen

$737/mo

Rent

$1068/mo

52/100

Livability

46/100

30/100

Safety

30/100

65/100

Healthcare

62/100

4 yr

PR path

4 yr

142 Mbps

Internet

—

Freelance setup

RESICO

No VAT exemption
€350/yr accountant

Stripe

RESICO

No VAT exemption
€350/yr accountant

Stripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRCancun is 31% cheaper on rent ($737/mo vs $1068/mo). Neither city will test your commitment to owning a coat.

Cancun edges ahead 52 to 46. Playa del Carmen isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.

Household

Cancun

Metric

Playa del Carmen

✓$737/mo

🏠

Rent (1BR centre)

$1068/mo

$573/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

$443/mo✓

✓$2,961

🧳

Cost to land

$3,954

26.1 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

26.1 / 100k

32°C

☀️

Summer high

32°C

20°C

❄️

Winter low

18°C

142 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

—

8.3 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

7 μg/m³✓

5.3 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

5.3 / 10

20/100

🗣️

Street English

20/100

$26k

💼

GDP per capita

$26k

4.7% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

4.7% · Boringly steady

✓52 / 100

🏅

Livability Score

46 / 100

4 years

📋

Time to PR

4 years

See exactly what you keep after taxes in each city

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Cancun

$331/mo cheaper on rent alone

Sun

How much sky you actually get

51% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

10.8h

Shortest day

Dec

10.9h

13.4h

Longest day

Jun

13.4h

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

declining ↓

Democracy trend

declining ↓

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

4 yrs

Time to PR

4 yrs

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

EU visa

Moderate

RU visa

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · IEA · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

12 wk

Gestational limit

12 wk

Decriminalized nationwide by Supreme Court in 2023. Access varies by state.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

71/100

Rainbow Index

71/100

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Source: Rainbow Europe (ILGA-Europe)

The Short Version

•Rent is 31% cheaper in Cancun ($737/mo vs $1068/mo for a 1BR city centre).
•Summers are slightly warmer in Playa del Carmen (32°C vs 32°C).

Cancun vs Playa del Carmen — Common Questions

Is Cancun cheaper than Playa del Carmen?▾

Cancun is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $737/month in Cancun vs $1068/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Cancun or Playa del Carmen?▾

Playa del Carmen is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Cancun has a rate of 26.11 per 100,000 and Playa del Carmen has 26.11 per 100,000.

Should I move to Cancun or Playa del Carmen?▾

Cancun edges ahead 52 to 46. Playa del Carmen isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

What's the cost of rent in Cancun vs Playa del Carmen?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $737/month in Cancun, $1068/month in Playa del Carmen (Numbeo). That's 31% cheaper rent in Cancun.