Playa del Carmen Moves to Implement Highest Cadastral Values in Quintana Roo

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — The municipal government of Playa del Carmen, led by Mayor Estefanía Mercado Asencio, is moving ahead with an aggressive update to its cadastral valuation tables, seeking to close a 12-year gap in property assessments. The proposal would raise land values in key zones to nearly double those of Cancún, making Playa del Carmen the municipality with the highest cadastral values in Quintana Roo.

The administration argues that the increase is necessary after more than a decade without adjustments. However, business groups warn that the plan amounts to an extreme revenue-collection strategy that could significantly impact hotels, commercial properties, and middle-and upper-income residential areas.

Tax Burden Expected to Rise Sharply

According to the municipality’s proposal, updated cadastral values will apply only to tourist, commercial, and residential zones. Popular neighborhoods, social-interest housing, and marginalized communities will be exempt.

Officials estimate the update could double or triple Property Tax (Predial) bills in affected areas.

If approved, Playa del Carmen would surpass Cancún’s Hotel Zone as the most expensive territory in the state in terms of land value. Critics say the changes will worsen gentrification already affecting the city, leading to higher rents and increased pressure on property acquisition.

Playa del Carmen Now Proposes Higher Values Than Cancún

The highest land value listed in the proposed tables is 12,500 pesos per square meter for tourist areas — 78% higher than the maximum value in Cancún’s Hotel Zone (7,000 pesos/m²).

Playa del Carmen is also proposing higher construction values. For example, a 3-star hotel would be valued at:

• Cancún: 5,768 pesos/m²
• Playa del Carmen: 6,800 pesos/m²

Example: How the Increase Affects a Hotel Property

A hotel with 1,000 m² of land and 2,000 m² of construction would see dramatically different property taxes depending on the valuation tables used.

In Cancún:

• Cadastral value: 18,536,000 pesos
• Property tax (0.0019 rate): 35,218 pesos

With Playa del Carmen’s proposed values:

• Cadastral value: 26,100,000 pesos — 40.8% higher
• Property tax: 49,590 pesos

A hotel of the same size in Playa del Carmen would therefore pay almost double the property tax as one in Cancún.

The proposal also includes additional Playa del Carmen land values of 11,800 pesos/m² and 10,000 pesos/m², both of which exceed Cancún’s maximum valuations.

Other Municipalities Also Pursuing Large Increases

Playa del Carmen is not alone in pushing up valuations:

• Puerto Morelos: highest tourist-zone value will be 8,165 pesos/m², or 16.6% higher than Cancún’s.
• Isla Mujeres: under its third consecutive increase, the maximum value will jump from 2,000 to 4,680 pesos/m².
• Holbox (Lázaro Cárdenas): land value will rise to 1,500 pesos/m², the highest in that municipality.

Why the Increase Is Happening

City officials say previous administrations — including those led by Lili Campos, Laura Beristain, Cristina Torres, Rafael Castro, and Mauricio Góngora — failed to update cadastral tables for 12 years, leaving property tax values far below market conditions.

However, hotel, business, and legal sectors argue that applying 12 years of increases at once will have a disproportionate impact and that the new values are based on arbitrary parameters rather than a phased or technical approach.

Financial Pressures Within the Municipal Government

The article notes that Estefanía Mercado’s administration is experiencing significant fiscal strain, driven by payroll expansion, operational spending, and liquidity shortages during the low season. Budget pressures reportedly contributed to delayed salary payments and interruptions of contracted services.

Local observers say this financial backdrop explains the push for a major revenue increase through updated cadastral values.

Statewide Ripple Effect Expected

Officials warn that the precedent set by Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres may prompt the Benito Juárez (Cancún) city council to request a similar update next year after skipping one this cycle. Such a move would further raise the cost of property ownership and general living expenses throughout Quintana Roo.