Playa del Carmen is much more crowded than Isla Mujeres. Isla food and hotels are cheaper, in general, and you CAN find a cheap hotel WITH air conditioning in Isla. When we compare the travel costs of real travelers between Playa del Carmen and Isla Mujeres, we can see that Isla Mujeres is more expensive. And not only is Playa del Carmen much less expensive, but it's actually a significantly cheaper destination.
Therefore, traveling to Playa del Carmen will allow you to spend less money overall. Or you can decide to spend more money in Playa del Carmen and be able to afford a more luxurious style of travel by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel on Isla Mujeres would naturally cost you a lot more money, so you'd probably want to keep your budget a little tighter on Isla Mujeres than in Playa del Carmen. It's also much more convenient from Cancun.
The Trip Advisor Isla forums have a lot of threads about restaurants. There are a lot of options, from street food to good food. Stay at sunset if you can. In this post, I detail everything you need to know to take a day trip to Isla Mujeres from Playa del Carmen.
If you don't want to deal with the hassle of multiple forms of public transport, the easiest way to get from Playa del Carmen to Isla Mujeres is to book a tour with transportation included. This is a great option for a more relaxed experience, and you'll have more time to really explore what Isla Mujeres has to offer. If you don't have a car, the cheapest way to get to Isla Mujeres from Playa del Carmen is to take the Playa Express, which is a shared van service to Cancun.
While there can be a lot of differences between Cancun, Playa del Carmen, the two Mexican beach resorts are similar in one thing, as they are relatively safe for tourism. But unlike Cancun, the beaches here aren't that big, and considering the high number of visitors, especially during the weekend, they seem much more crowded than in Cancun. With elegant hotels, all-inclusive resorts, shops and bars, all with a touch of Mexican culture, Playa del Carmen is an excellent place to spend a Mexican vacation for families or groups of friends.
