# Playa del Carmen — relocation profile

Playa del Carmen, Mexico · Hybrid regime · livability 46/100

## At a glance

- **Country:** Mexico
- **Region:** North America
- **Estimated monthly cost of living (solo, renting in the centre):** $2,479/month
- **Livability score:** 46 / 100 (rank 128 of 132 Townleap cities)
- **Settler safety score:** 33 / 100 (rank 117 of 132)
- **Cost vs New York City:** 72% cheaper
- **Also appears in:** Beach Life, Lowest Crime, Budget Maximizers, Sun + Beach, Hidden Gems, Retire Abroad, Young Professionals, Queer Settlers, Leaving the UK, Freelance-Friendly

## Cost of living

| Item | USD / month |
| --- | --- |
| Rent — 1-bed, city centre | $1,068 |
| Rent — 1-bed, outside centre | $395 |
| Rent — 3-bed, city centre | $1,772 |
| Average net salary (after tax) | $721 |
| **Total monthly cost (solo, rent included)** | **$2,479** |

One-off cost to land (deposit, agency fee, furnishing, first admin): $4,010.

Reference point: 22% cheaper than Puerto Vallarta.

## Settling

- **Democracy index (EIU, 0–10):** 5.3
- **Regime type:** Hybrid regime
- **Homicide rate:** 26.1 per 100,000/year
- **Time to permanent residency:** 4 years
- **Time to citizenship:** 5 years
- **English proficiency:** Very Low (EF EPI 440)
- **Main languages:** Spanish

## Day to day

- **Summer (low–high):** 22–32°C
- **Winter (low–high):** 18–28°C
- **Healthcare index (0–100):** 62.4
- **Natural features:** sea

## Economy

- **GDP per capita:** $26,185 (2024, country-level)
- **Inflation:** 4.7% (2024)
- **Unemployment:** 2.7% (2025)
- **Population:** 333,800

## Similar cities

| City | Country | Rent (1-bed, centre) | Monthly cost | Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tulum | Mexico | $1,045 | $2,193 | /cities/tulum |
| Cancun | Mexico | $737 | $2,184 | /cities/cancun |
| Merida | Mexico | $601 | $1,859 | /cities/merida |
| Puerto Vallarta | Mexico | $1,435 | $3,092 | /cities/puerto-vallarta |
| Tamarindo | Costa Rica | $950 | $1,552 | /cities/tamarindo |

## Related pages

- Cost of living breakdown: /cost-of-living/playa-del-carmen
- Compare with another city: /cities/compare
- Visa and residency paths: /cities/playa-del-carmen/visa

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Source: [Townleap](https://www.townleap.com/cities/playa-del-carmen) — permanent-relocation data for people picking a country to actually live in, not visit.

Cost figures are Numbeo-derived and in USD unless labelled otherwise. Economics are World Bank. Every number on this page is also on the HTML page at the same URL — this variant exists so you do not have to parse a React app to read a rent figure.