What’s new in Playa Del Carmen’s downtown real estate market?
What is going on with the real estate market in Playa Del Carmen? In this article we are focusing on the south end of the downtown area. This part of downtown Playa Del Carmen has been one of the earliest developed areas branching off of Juarez Avenue. Playa Del Carmen does seem to develop in waves and then cover back over areas and redeveloped them. For a while Playa Del Carmen was moving north but as prices have risen for both land and condos, this part of the downtown is getting a second look. We are defining this area as 10th Avenue to the 307 Highway and from Juarez Avenue to 8th Street. Here is our look at what is going on with real estate in Playa Del Carmen’s downtown on the south end.
This south end of the downtown was dormant for the past few years but now it has sprung alive with building. Just look at the map and click on the markers to see what is going on. This area is now offering condos starting around $100,000 USD and that is bringing some people back into the market in the center of Playa Del Carmen. Is this area area for you? What are the drawbacks of this area? Is this a good area for a rental property? We examine these things below.
Our videos about real estate in Playa Del Carmen
Before we get into all the details of this area, we have a good overall video about the real estate market in Playa Del Carmen. We cover a lot of topics that many first-time lookers should know about. We hope you find this video helpful.
In the next video, we visit the 11 neighborhoods of the downtown of Playa Del Carmen. We do visit the southern end of Playa Del Carmen and comment about the area.
Our map of the south end of downtown real estate
Here is a visual of what we are talking about. This is the section of downtown Playa Del Carmen and what is happening with real estate. If you click on the markers, you will see a brief description of what is there and a photo.
What are some of the advantages and disadvantage of this area for real estate?
Like any neighborhood you are looking to invest in or live, you need to think about services, what is close by, what the neighborhood is like, how the area is changing and what it will be like in years to come. In Playa Del Carmen you also need to think about access to the beach and rentability if you are looking for a rental property.
Since this area was one of the first areas to be developed in Playa Del Carmen you find a mix of one- and two-story houses in this area. Toward the south end near Juarez Avenue, you find more businesses. The top end near the highway is quieter since this is not as desirable to live in. 30th Avenue cuts through this neighborhood providing a main commercial avenue where you can find public transportation.
Restaurants, shops and grocery stores
In Playa Del Carmen it is always important to think about going to the grocery store and accessibility. In this part of downtown your nearest grocery store would be Walmart on 8th Street. An alternative would be the Chedraui three blocks below Juarez Avenue and between 45th and the highway.
Shopping is going to be mostly low-end shops in this area of the downtown. Juarez Avenue offers cheaper clothing stores, shoe stores and bags and purse stores.
Most all the restaurants in this area are local or budget restaurants. Here and some great local chicken restaurants. La Brocherie Restaurant is one of the highlights in this area offering gourmet taste at budget prices. You can also find a good number of our cheap eats restaurants in this area. These are restaurants where you can eat for around 130-160 pesos.
Bars, strip clubs and poor areas
Probably one of the most noticeable drawbacks to this this area is the proximity to local bars and strip clubs. There is nothing bad about being close to a bar, but some bars draw certain crowds that might not be what you want to be walking past in the evening. It is important to get to know an area that you are looking at. A real estate agent showing you a condo might drive certain streets just to bypass some of the things that are not as attractive in the area. Make sure you walk around. Playa Del Carmen can change block to block.
If you are looking for a rental property, you have to remember what your renters are going to say in reviews. This will affect your rentability and bottom line. Of course, some of these bars and clubs will not stay in this area forever. Eventually if the neighborhood keeps developing the property will be more valuable to sell and these will most likely relocate. But remember, things take time in Mexico and many of these businesses have been there for near a decade already.
Friction between new and old
Since this area developed in the initial wave of building in Playa Del Carmen, you will find one story homes. Many of these house families or cuartos to rent. Make sure you read our article on cuartos to understand how these profitable properties stay around for a while and how they affect the price of real estate in Playa Del Carmen.
When looking at real estate in this area make sure you look at the surrounding streets. Some of them can have a stark contrast to that new condo building you are looking at. Some people that bought in this area wake up to chickens’ cock-a-dooing in the morning. This might be part of the charm of living in Mexico or it just might be a nightmare.
You also have to keep in mind that many locals like where they live and the idea of moving just to make money is not as attractive. Property taxes are near nothing so people can hold onto property for generations and not feel inclined to move. This makes for random development and mixed areas of new and old construction.
Access to the beach and parking
Being close to the beach is vital to residents and rentability in Playa Del Carmen. In this are you have access to the beach from Juarez to 8th Street if you walk directly down the streets. The beach is wide from Juarez to 4th Street and decent. However, the more popular beach is north of this area from Constituyentes Avenue to 38th Street. This means if you are looking to rent a property here, people might prefer being on the north end of downtown.
Parking is going to get tighter will all the new construction. The streets are already narrow and full of garage entrances to houses. If you are going to be looking to live in this area definitely look at what options, there is for parking at the condo.
What is being built in this area of the downtown?
In general, this area is getting 70% condos being built, 20% apartments built and 10% are businesses building on to their existing structures. On the lower end of this area (10th to 15th Avenues) you will find the higher end condos with the higher prices. In the middle from 20th Avenue to 35th Avenue you find the mid-range condos. From 35th Avenue to the highway you will find more apartments being built. This area has traditionally been an area close to downtown but affordable rents for people living in Playa Del Carmen working in mid-level management jobs.
A look at this area of the downtown and what is here
Let’s take a trip back to one of the first condo buildings in this neighborhood. It might give some insight to what is possible and what to learn from. Below you can see what was one of the first endeavors in this area on 35th Avenue. It was a modern four level condo building. It offered condos starting around $60,ooo USD when it was built. Only one problem, some of the units were no bigger than a hotel room. No closets and not much else. As time went by, the prices went up but still no one was buying.
This same developer went on to build around the corner. They have done better than this first building. The units offer more luxury than what you get in other neighborhoods, but you still have the location to contend with.
Case study of The Papaya Plus Building
One building that is tucked into this area is the Papaya Plus or Papaya 15 Building. It has good design, a calm garden courtyard and rooftop pool. While you don’t have much of a view, you are close to 5th Avenue and on the north side of our map. This building has pretty much been a success when you look at rental return. One tip for you is to look on Airbnb. Look at how full the calendars are rented for and the asking prices over a year period to get a full understanding of rental potential.
This building gets good comments and reviews. Of course this building sold when it was built but it is a look at what is possible in the area.
Are you looking at Playa Del Carmen real estate? Follow along!
We love writing about what is going on in Playa Del Carmen and helping both new residents and tourist to the area. Best of all we use our unique take on things to give you a look at what is going on here. We don’t sell real estate, so we don’t have an agenda. We want our readers to make good decisions and be happy here if you choose to move here. Every so often we add articles about real estate in Playa Del Carmen. Below are a few articles that you might find interesting after reading this one.
- Our BIG guide for Playa Del Carmen real estate.
- Recommended real agents to work with in Playa Del Carmen
- 9 misconceptions about real estate in Playa Del Carmen.
- What the buying process is like in Mexico.
- A good investment tool for knowing more about rental prices and comparing area.
- What the Tulum real estate market is like now.
- In this article we talk about what is happening in another part of downtown Playa Del Carmen.
If you want us to write about something in particular or if you have a question, feel free to give us a comment below or a personal email and we will try to best answer your questions.
About The Author
This is a good comprehensive look at this area. I had looked at the condos on 6th Street but not sure of that area. Do you have any other areas I should look at that are in the process of being up and coming areas of Playa? I would like to buy two condos and rent one while living in the other, preferably in the same building. Thanks and keep up the good articles.
Hello John
We will send you an email with some areas you might want to look at. Thanks for following along on our site.
I appreciate your articles on real estate. I have been looking for a condo for an investment in Playa del Carmen and have seen some in this area that looked priced well. I was not sure of the area.
I love reading all your articles. Keep them coming! I am looking to buy a 1 (or 2) bedroom condo in Playa. I notice the prices are quite high per sqft and about the same when you are on the West side of the Highway (North or South). Much cheaper on the East side of the highway (like Calle 11 area). I looked at rental possibilities on Airbnb and was shocked to see that you could ask the same per night/week/month for similar condo weather you buy them at $100,000 or almost $200,000 on the West side. It seems a studio is a studio is a studio (small or large). The only difference in price is if you go over the Highway to the West side. Would you recommend buying on the West side? Would it rent easily on Airbnb? I would appreciate your comments.
You have to remember that people can set their own prices on Airbnb so you don’t know if it is actually renting at those prices. Often all you see available are the ones that have not rented as well. The “other side” of the highway (west) is more for living and I honestly don’t know why tourists would stay there. You cannot easily walk to the beach and the areas are not close to much that tourists want. IT is more residential and going to take some more time for that area to develop.
Not all condos are equal when it comes to ROI. The location matters, services and if you are doing it yourself or there is a management package with your building. A look at our ROI article might be helpful. https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/roi-playa-del-carmen/
I looked at this area because there are some newer developement here. I still think the south end of the downtown is in need of some places to shop, cafes and more. It is also limited in access to a good beach. The city should be protecting and cleaning the beaches better. Who cares if there is a lot of new condos when the very thing that people came for is not in good shape. Where are all the people that rent going to to go when there is such a little beach with seaweed?
This area of Playa del Carmen has always been a little skethy. There are some bars with dances and a lot of drunk people at night. People looking at condos in this area should visit at night to see what it is like. If you are going to rent it out you should know what your renters are going to see.
I have been watching Playa develop over the years and seen it move out of the center. There are still a lot of empty lots that people sit on and I wish the city would make them maintaing them and charge more taxes on them. I still would not invest in the south end of Playa because it is random development and the beach is so small. Dont let developers fool you in a nice picture and pool that you will be able to rent those condos for thousands because people in the know, know there are better areas of Playa to rent in.
I looked at a condo in this area but it still has a lot of time before it looks good. There are a lot of small houses that are not clean and the walk to the beach has you arrive at a small beach with low end services. On a map this area looks good but in person it is not a good investment. Look more north or out of Playa for better ROI.
hola, me felicito con ustedes por las informaciones preciosas que publican siempre, Gracias!!! Estabamos interesados a una buena inversion para renta vacacional y nos gustan los desarrollos de Menesse midtown 256 que estan en esta zona. Que opinan sobre el ROI, es una buena zona, creen que esta zona va ser mejor en futuro??, es una buena inversion?? la posicion entre la avenida 25 calle 4 con 6 como es??
De antemano mil gracias por su respuesta!!
Hay varios factores a considerar. Si está buscando una propiedad de inversión, ¿quién rentará en esa área? ¿Cuáles son los precios de alquiler y la ocupación en la zona? ¿Cómo es el precio del condominio en relación a la devolución? Lo único en lo que siempre pensamos es en el acceso a la playa. La mayoría de la gente se cometa a Playa para ir a la playa. En este momento, el paseo a la playa está un poco lejos de esa zona y no hay muchas opciones de club de playa buenas y la playa no es la mejor. Dado que usted está buscando una inversión, ¿ha mirado también a Tulum? Acabamos de hacer un artículo y un video sobre Tulum y lo que está sucediendo. El retorno de la inversión allí es competitivo con Playa. https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/tulum-real-estate-market/
gracias por tu respuesta!! crees entonces que no vale la pena una inversión en esta zona?? no tiene posibilidad de mejorar como zona?? los precios son de 90.000 dólares y la entrega es dentro de dos anos y estoy viendo que van a nacer ortos condo hotel en la zona. la zona es peligrosa?? no crees que sea ideal para turistas en esa zona??
gracias
El área no es peligrosa. Es central. ¿Así que tendrás posesión en dos años? Deben estar empezando ¿Como turista te gustaría quedarte en esa zona? No es mi primera opción. Ese es un precio introductorio bajo, aunque en 90,000. Por lo general, no se puede obtener nada por debajo de 100,000 debajo de la carretera. El área cambiará en dos años y debería ver más restaurantes pequeños e infill. Lo más probable es que si compras y recibes la entrega en dos años, deberías poder venderla con una ganancia, incluso sin alquilarla una vez.
Hola y gracias siempre por sus informaciones tan utiles!! queria preguntarles qual es la zona con mayor prospectivas futuras donde poder invertir en un buen condominio en PDC. y si los episodios de violencia estan afectando ultimamente las rentas vacacionales en PDC y la riviera Maya? me han ofrecido Selvanova que como casas se ven muy lindas como es el desrrollador ?? es un zona tranquila?? me han dichi que serà el nuevo centro de la ciudad?? tendrà plusvalia??
gracis por responder!!
Gracias por leer nuestro sitio web. La respuesta depende de qué tipo de inversión desea. ¿Quieres algo para vivir y alquilar parte del año? ¿Desea alquilar como un alquiler de vacaciones o como un alquiler a largo plazo? Los turistas alquilan ricamente en el lado oeste de la carretera. Incluso la avenida 30 es un divisor donde la gente alquila. Selvanova está en el centro de la ciudad, pero ese no es el centro donde la gente quiere estar. Esa área es buena para las personas que quieren vivir en Playa y que no pagan demasiado por un condominio.
En Playa, las mejores áreas son de la calle 34 a la calle 46 ya que Playa se está moviendo hacia el norte. También depende mucho del diseño del edificio y la ubicación exacta. Es por eso que se recomienda una buena inmobiliaria. La mayoría de las áreas de alquiler alto de Playa tienen condominios que comienzan en 160.000 USD. Si eso no está en su presupuesto, más atrás es mejor, pero será más para los locales que alquilan y para los inquilinos a largo plazo.
https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/realtors-playa-del-carmen/
I looked at a couple of condos in this area. They sure looked good online but the neighborhood in person was not what I wanted. I think that area will take some time to change and the developers are overly optimistic about this area.