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

Mexico vs Mexico — relocation comparison

Your passport:
48
Livability Score
🇲🇽 Cancun
Mexico
Full profile
46
Livability Score
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
Mexico
Full profile
Cancun
Playa del Carmen
$737/mo
Rent
$1068/mo
48/100
Livability
46/100
30/100
Safety
30/100
65/100
Healthcare
62/100
4 yr
PR path
4 yr
RESICO
Freelance setup

No local IBAN · No local IBAN

RESICO

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 and Playa del Carmen are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin.
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
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
48 / 100
🏅
Livability Score
46 / 100
4 years
📋
Time to PR
4 years

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

💰
Cost of Living
Cancun
$331/mo cheaper on rent alone

Settler Essentials

declining
Democracy trend
declining
improving
Inflation trend
improving
4 yrs
Time to PR
4 yrs
Moderate
🇺🇸 Your visa
Moderate
Moderate
EU visa
Moderate
Moderate
RU visa
Moderate
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.

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

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

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 and Playa del Carmen are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin. 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.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

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