Finding cheap eats isn’t difficult in Playa del Carmen. There are food carts everywhere, as well as a large variety of restaurants. Walking one block away from the tourist drag, it’s as if you’ve returned to the Mexico that you once knew and loved, the Mexico that you won’t find on the 5th Avenida in Playa. You don’t have to walk far, and cheap restaurants with daily menus and offerings for MXN$45 or less are the norm.
Most restaurants post their menus out front, allowing you to browse their offerings before you head on in. If your hotel or hostel has a guest kitchen, you can make yourself a decent meal on the cheap by taking advantage of the multitude of smaller corner markets or head over to the supermarket after a budget-busting night of club-hopping.
Street Meat : Parque 28 de Julio
Once Xavi and I had finished our requisite three beers and were looking for some cheap and tasty street food, we headed down to Parque 28 de Julio. The park occupies the area between 15th and 20th Avenues and 8th and 10th streets. The food vendors are there from 2 in the afternoon until around midnight every day. It seems as if vendors selling similar food tend to line up right next to each other, making it somewhat easier to determine where to eat. My general philosophy is to head to the stall where the portions appear to match the price and everybody eating seems to know the cook.
Also at the intersection of Calle 15 and Calle 2 is a small park with satisfying street vendors. Tacos, tortas, and more. MXN$30 equals two tacos and a drink.
Xtra Supermarket
The Xtra on 15th Avenue is pretty basic, and doesn’t have a huge selection but it’s within easy walking distance of all the hostels listed here on the site. Also, it is a couple blocks up from the port and the shopping bonanza of 5th Avenue–far enough to make it pretty affordable.
Fruit markets
While walking around near Graffiti Hostel, we found a little meat and fruit market that was able to satisfy all our needs for our short stay in Playa del Carmen. We got there too late for meat our first night in town, which is something to keep in mind–if you want to buy from smaller markets, get there earlier in the day before the selection peters out.
There are small fruit/vegetable markets like this scattered around the city. Though if you ask where the cheapest place is to buy produce, don’t be surprised if you’re given directions to Wal-Mart…
Sit Down Meals:
As mentioned, affordable eats aren’t hard to find in Playa, as soon as you get off of the 5ta Avenida. Here are a couple that we’ve picked:
More Restaurant Photos
On the corner of Calle 6 and Calle 10 is a large, open building with a couple of restaurants inside. The food is cheap, tasty, filling, and though they don’t serve beer, we were told we could buy a bottle at the OXXO across the street and drink it there.
A few blocks away, on the corner of Calle 1 and Calle 20, Cocina Sagrado Corazon is a busy place, with a Jesus-themed menu and flat-screen TV where (at the right time of day) spanish rap videos play in the background. Traditional meals are again, tasty and affordable.
Check out the photos for more information.
GETTING // GOING • SLEEPING • EATING • DOING • MAP