Rent or buy?
Both paths with your numbers, year by year.
Result
Renting comes out ahead over 10 years: $968,500 MXN better off.
- Break-even
- Over 10 years
- Cash up front
- $810,000 MXN
- Mortgage payment
- $27,732 MXN
- Owner cost /mo
- $31,815 MXN
| Rent | Buy | |
|---|---|---|
| Total paid | $2,593,319 MXN | $4,718,717 MXN |
| What you end with | $3,531,910 MXN | $2,563,410 MXN |
| Real cost | $1,186,807 MXN | $2,155,306 MXN |
Everything you put in, minus what you end with: the home sold and what you invested.
Show the table
| Year | Rent | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | $810,000 MXN | $450,000 MXN |
| 1 | $1,037,994 MXN | $600,378 MXN |
| 2 | $1,274,868 MXN | $761,043 MXN |
| 3 | $1,520,953 MXN | $932,993 MXN |
| 4 | $1,776,594 MXN | $1,117,336 MXN |
| 5 | $2,042,147 MXN | $1,315,303 MXN |
| 6 | $2,317,979 MXN | $1,528,268 MXN |
| 7 | $2,604,472 MXN | $1,757,760 MXN |
| 8 | $2,902,018 MXN | $2,005,479 MXN |
| 9 | $3,211,024 MXN | $2,273,325 MXN |
| 10 | $3,531,910 MXN | $2,563,410 MXN |
Next step
An estimate, not financial advice.
Rate: Bank of Mexico, table CF303. Costs: our buying guides. · Mortgages
How it works
The same budget
Each month both paths spend the same: whichever costs less invests the difference.
Cash up front
The renter invests the down payment and closing costs they didn't pay.
What you end with
The buyer sells at the end: price with appreciation, minus commission and the loan left.
Break-even
The first year buying leaves you as well off as renting, or better.
Questions
- Is it better to rent or buy in Playa del Carmen?
- It mostly depends on how long you stay. With this page's assumptions, buying takes several years to recover closing and selling costs.
- What mortgage rate does the calculator use?
- The average fixed rate the Bank of Mexico measured in August 2026: 11.3%. Get your own offer and compare the CAT.
- How much are closing costs in Playa del Carmen?
- According to our guide, 6 to 8% of the price, and 7 to 9% with a bank trust.