Playacar Real Estate
Playacar, Playa del Carmen: live inventory inside the gated community, how Phase I and Phase II differ, and what the HOA quota actually covers.
Available in Playacar
Prices by bedroom
How much does a condo in Playacar cost?
Asking prices for available apartments in Playacar, grouped by layout. Amounts are in US dollars. Confirm the price of the unit you choose.
| Layout | Available | From | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 45 | $205,000 | $250,224 |
| 1 bedroom | 30 | $215,000 | $331,001 |
| 2 bedrooms | 55 | $365,602 | $497,966 |
| 3 bedrooms | 16 | $551,281 | $738,313 |
| Penthouse | 31 | $350,000 | $806,021 |
Playacar in detail
Playacar is the gated, master-planned community immediately south of Playa del Carmen's centre, laid out in the early 1990s and still the only part of the city where access is controlled at a barrier and building heights are capped by the community's own rules. That combination — low-rise buildings, mature jungle left standing between them, and a private street grid — is the product. It is also why entry prices sit above the city average and why the maintenance quota does too.
One distinction decides almost everything about a purchase here, and it is not price per square metre: Phase I and Phase II are different places. Phase I is the northern strip beside the ferry pier and the southern end of Fifth Avenue, mixed in with the all-inclusive resorts and the beachfront. Phase II is inland and residential, wrapped around the golf course, quieter and car-dependent.
The grid below is what is currently available inside the barrier — condo stock, which is why this zone is a single hub rather than a set of category children.
Phase I versus Phase II. Phase I puts you within walking distance of Fifth Avenue's southern end, the ferry to Cozumel and the beach clubs, at the cost of resort traffic on the perimeter. Phase II is laid out around the 18-hole golf course, with wider lots, lower density and almost no through traffic — and no walkable commerce, so a bicycle, golf cart or car is assumed. Two listings at the same price in the two phases are not comparable products.
What the quota buys. The maintenance fee here runs above the Playa del Carmen norm because it funds things the city does not: manned access control, private road upkeep, and the green corridors that give the community its character. Ask for the current quota in writing and what it covers before comparing a Playacar price with one from the centre.
Rules are strict, and that is the point. Height limits, façade and vegetation rules, and in several regimes a restriction on short-term rental. Buyers who want the low-rise, green setting are buying the enforcement; buyers planning nightly rental have to read the specific building's internal rules first, because the answer differs building by building and the community's rules sit on top of them.
Ownership. Playa del Carmen sits inside Mexico's 50-km federal restricted zone, so a non-Mexican buyer acquires through a fideicomiso — a renewable bank trust with the buyer as sole beneficiary, holding full rights of use, sale and inheritance. Closing costs run roughly 6–10% on top of the price.
Worth checking per address: which phase the property is in, the current maintenance quota and what it funds, the building's own short-stay rules, and whether the lot backs onto the golf course or a service road — inside the same phase that single fact moves the price more than the finish does.
Compare nearby zones
Before you buy
Questions about buying in Playacar
Is Playacar the same thing as Playa del Carmen?
No. Playacar is one gated community inside Playa del Carmen, immediately south of the centre, with controlled access and its own street grid and building rules. Playa del Carmen is the city around it. Search results mix the two constantly, which is why this page is scoped to the community rather than the city.
What is the difference between Playacar Phase I and Phase II?
Phase I is the northern strip next to the ferry pier and the southern end of Fifth Avenue, sharing the area with the all-inclusive resorts and the beach. Phase II is inland and residential, built around the golf course — quieter, lower density, and not walkable to shops or restaurants. The phase changes the daily experience and the price more than the building finish does.
Why is the maintenance fee higher in Playacar?
Because it pays for services the municipality does not provide inside the barrier: staffed access control, upkeep of the private road network and maintenance of the green corridors between buildings. Ask for the current quota in writing — comparing a Playacar price with a centre price without it is comparing two different cost structures.
Can I rent out a property in Playacar on a short-stay basis?
Sometimes, and it is decided at building level rather than community level. Several regimes inside Playacar restrict or prohibit nightly rental, and the community rules sit on top of the individual building's internal regulations. Read both documents before you count on rental income.
Can a foreigner buy in Playacar?
Yes, through a fideicomiso. Playa del Carmen lies inside the 50-km federal restricted zone, so a non-Mexican buyer holds the property through a renewable bank trust as sole beneficiary, with full rights of use, sale and inheritance. The mechanism is identical across the whole city — the community changes nothing about it.
How does Playacar compare with the centre of Playa del Carmen?
The centre is denser, walkable to everything, noisier, and it is where the newest towers are going up. Playacar is low-rise, green, quiet and gated, with a higher entry price and a higher quota. The centre suits buyers who want to be in the middle of the city; Playacar suits buyers who explicitly want to be behind a barrier and to keep the trees.
