You have plenty of options for long term rentals in Playa del Carmen from beautiful beachside condos, apartment buildings and quaint townhouses.
The lifestyle that Playa del Carmen offers makes it a very popular digital nomad hotspot in Latin America.
With nice beaches, unique cafes, lots of different restaurants, and amazing cenotes to explore, it’s no wonder that Playa continues to grow in popularity. Not to mention there is a good digital nomad community that you will be able to integrate yourself into comfortably.
But with the popularity and growth of not just digital nomads visiting the area, but also tourism, getting an apartment can take a little bit more work, and apartment costs also tend to fluctuate.
Long Term Rentals Playa del Carmen (Costs, Locations And More)
As with all popular digital nomad destinations, depending on the exact location you want to live and the type of apartment you want is going to directly impact the price that you pay.
Playa del Carmen does offer lots of amazing apartments to stay and with a little bit of work, you can often find a good deal that includes a nice balcony view, pool, and even a gym!
Where To Stay In Playa del Carmen As A Digital Nomad
When you travel to Playa del Carmen you are definitely going to want to stay in the Centro area. This is where all of the cafes, restaurants, and bars are.
You will also be within walking distance of the beautiful beaches and there are a few nice coworking spaces located throughout the area.
The one thing that we really enjoyed about Playa del Carmen was how walkable it was.
We never had even thought twice about visiting our favorite cafes and restaurants because we were able to walk anywhere in 10-15 minutes!
So when choosing an apartment – make sure you stick within the Centro area and you will have a much nicer time and be close to all the action.
Where Should You Avoid Staying In Playa del Carmen?
Avoid staying on the 5th Avenida…
…if you value a good night’s sleep.
If you are anything like us, you want to live close to everything, but you don’t want to still be awake at 1 am each night, staring at the wall as loud music blasts next door!
I can remember there was a villa we stayed in when we first arrived in Bali. The villa itself was nice and there was a large pool running down the middle.
The thing we didn’t discover until that first night? The neighbors next door loved a good party and the party they did!
I’m sure if you have read anything about Playa del Carmen you have heard of the infamous 5th Ave. It is like the main street of the area and although it is pretty busy all the time, at night it really comes alive.
Now, don’t get me wrong we had some good times on 5th Ave, however, you aren’t going to live too close to it, so just keep that in mind.
You will find that most apartments in Playa are located about a 5-10 minute walk from 5th Ave and that’s about perfect!
Cost Of A Long Term Rental Playa del Carmen (1+ Months)
Monthly costs for apartments in Playa del Carmen do vary significantly depending on exactly where you want to stay. Typically you will pay more the closer you get to the main mall and shopping district.
I found when passing further away from the main district and cross over Ave Constituyentes, prices start to drop. That means you can save $2000 – $4000 pesos ($100 – $200 USD) a month if you are willing to walk an extra 5-10 minutes.
This is not always that case and you can find exceptions if you look, but that is what we have typically noticed which makes sense.
So how much can you expect to pay when renting an apartment in Playa del Carmen? The prices below are what you typically might find inside the Centro area.
Keep in mind that the season will also affect the rental you pay in Playa del Carmen. I talk a bit about this further below.
Long Term Rental Cost For A Single Bedroom In Shared Apartment In Playa del Carmen
If you get a single room with a private bathroom in a shared complex or apartment, you can expect to pay between $6,000 – $10,000 pesos ($300 to $500 USD) per month.
Images courtesy of Airbnb
The price difference will depend on exactly where it is located and if your building has extra amenities like a pool or gym.
Long Term Rental Cost For A One-Bedroom Apartment In Playa del Carmen
With a 1 bedroom or studio apartment, you should be able to find something quite nice for $12,000 to $18,000 pesos (600 USD to 900 USD) per month.
Prices for really new and modern 1 bedroom apartments with good amenities can go all the way up to $25,000 (1,250 USD) per month respectively, so just prioritize what’s important to you.
Long Term Rental Cost For A Two-Bedroom Apartment In Playa del Carmen
There are plenty of two-bedroom apartments available in Playa.
If you are staying with a friend or are a couple wanting that extra bedroom, you should be able to find something comfortable. As with most places, the more bedrooms you have in one apartment, the cheaper the cost per person.
For a 2 bedroom apartment in Playa del Carmen, you can expect to pay about $16,000 to $25,000 pesos ($800 USD to $1,250 USD) per month.
Got a fellow digital nomad friend coming to visit you?
You can share a 2 bedroom and you guys should be able to get good value for money.
Can You Negotiate The Price For Long Term Rentals in Playa del Carmen?
You can most definitely negotiate the price of your apartment, particularly if you are staying for a month or more.
As a general rule, we always ask for at least a little discount because we know that a lot of Airbnb owners like to have monthly stays and it’s an easy way for us to save a couple of bucks if they say yes.
It doesn’t hurt to ask right?
You will find that it is much for difficult to negotiate in the high tourist season, as Airbnb owners and real estate agents often have more than enough clients to fill their rental apartments.
That said, even in high season, you can negotiate, but you might find it difficult to get a lower rental price.
My advice is to focus on the extra things like getting your utilities included (if they aren’t already) or other things that you might want.
How To Get A Nice Apartment In Playa del Carmen
There are a couple of different ways to get apartments in Playa del Carmen.
The best option depends on whether you are trying to save some money and lower your cost of living in general or just want to make the whole getting an apartment experience as easy as possible.
Finding An Apartment On Airbnb
The most obvious thing to do is head over to Airbnb.
I don’t mind using Airbnb to book a month-long stay because it means that you have a little bit of “insurance” in case it doesn’t work out or the listing wasn’t accurate.
Having Airbnb sort of regulating the rental just gives me a little bit more peace of mind in a foreign country.
In saying that, you will almost always pay more when you book through Airbnb because the owners have to pay a percentage of their fee to Airbnb. We did find numerous good apartment options on Airbnb and found that service from hosts was also friendly and efficient.
Even if Airbnb isn’t your thing – I would recommend starting your search there so you can at least get a feel for what’s available and you might even find a good option!
Using Facebook Groups To Find Apartments In Playa del Carmen
The second best way to find apartments in Play del Carmen is to check the local Facebook groups.
When you join a group you will find that local real estate agents and rental apartment owners will post their available apartments here.
From our experience and the experience of other digital nomads, there are a lot of great options and you can often get a good price.
Keep in mind though, the owner will usually ask for a rental deposit of 2-4 weeks, depending on how long you are staying. This would be fine for most, but sometimes in Playa del Carmen, it can be quite hard to get that deposit back (even though you didn’t break or damage anything).
We recommend you negotiate how much deposit you pay and make sure you have it in writing when you will get it back.
Which Facebook Groups Should You Join for Long Term Rentals in Playa del Carmen?
There are 3 main Facebook groups to join when you hunting for an apartment. They are not all rental specific, but you should be able to find options in each of them.
For digital nomads, we would recommend just joining them anyway. I have linked them below:
- Rentals & Sales in Central Playa del Carmen – https://www.facebook.com/groups/centralpdc/
- Playa del Carmen Insiders Guide – https://www.facebook.com/groups/PlayadelCarmenInsidersGuide/
- Digital Nomads Play Del Carmen Cancun Tulum – https://www.facebook.com/groups/digitalnomadplayatulumcancun
If you can’t find anything you like, you can always make a post with exactly what kind of apartment you are looking for and people will comment with different available options.
Contacting Local Real Estate Agents
Playa del Carmen has a lot of local real estate agencies that are used to handling tourists and digital nomads who are staying for a month or more.
If you do get stuck finding an apartment Playa, you can always reach out to a real estate agent to help.
We didn’t need to take this route, but we did meet other digital nomads who had done this.
The benefit of a real estate agent is that they have a tight network and work together to refer clients to each other, which is a lot like what we experienced in Bali.
You just need to tell the agent what you are looking for and your budget and they will often be able to show apartments.
This can potentially cut down a lot of searching time as they will show you only relevant apartments that are ready for you to move into.
One thing to note –
If you aren’t yet in Playa del Carmen, real estate agents likely won’t respond to your message. They are only going to be interested in talking to you if you are already in Playa and can meet face to face.
Lastly, real estate agents professionally manage properties, so they will probably get you to sign a contract and provide a deposit.
Just a little caution:
We have had a lot of digital nomad friends that struggled to get their deposits back, even though they didn’t break anything.
Just be aware that this is a very possible thing!
Are Utilities Included In Most Long Term Rentals Playa del Carmen?
With most monthly rentals in Playa del Carmen, utilities are usually included. Water and wifi are almost always included and depending on the building electricity can be included as well.
You will find that because Playa del Carmen has tropical and warm weather, you will need your AC working overtime to keep you cool. This is the main reason why some people don’t include electricity in the monthly rental cost.
If you find an apartment that you love where the utilities are included, I would always try and negotiate to have them included. This can be a good way to get the costs down if the owner or agent is willing to lowering the actual rent cost.
Booking through a website like Airbnb, utilities should always be included in the fee that you pay. However, sometimes they have a free amount of kilowatts and if you go over it you have to pay per extra kW you use. Just read the description carefully so you know what to expect.
Best Time To Visit Playa del Carmen To Avoid That High Cost Of Living
Playa del Carmen has a high season and a low season. This refers to the number of tourists that are visiting Playa at any given time.
Here’s why this is important-
In high season the cost of apartments increases by up to 40%. That means that your cost of living, in general, is going to increase significantly.
When Is High Season In Playa del Carmen?
The high season months in Playa del Carmen are typically from the beginning of December through to the middle of April.
During this time you see the prices of things fluctuate and there are many people that most apartments are booked 2-3 months in advance.
If you are visiting Playa del Carmen during this time – you might find it difficult to even get an apartment and you will be paying more. So keep that in mind and try to plan ahead.
When Is Low Season In Playa del Carmen?
The low season in Playa del Carmen is the rest of the year from the middle of April until the beginning of December.
During this time, you will be able to find nice apartments at very affordable prices.
You will also be able to negotiate more and have the added benefit of Playa not being packed full of tourists.
Long Term Rentals In Playa del Carmen Are The Way To Go
Playa del Carmen has amazing apartments ranging from simple studios to 1-2 bedroom apartments with rooftop pools, gyms and even cinema rooms.
Images courtesy of Airbnb
The main thing to be aware of is the time that you are visiting and the location of the apartment you choose.
If you do your homework, you will be able to find a nice place which will make your Playa del Carmen experience a good one!
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We want to hear from you…
Have you thought about renting an apartment long-term in Playa del Carmen? How was your experience? Are you a digital nomad staying longer (1-3 months)? What things do you look for in an apartment? Airbnb or FB Groups? Comment below and let us know! We read every comment.
