12 Best Coffee Shops in Playa del Carmen for Digital Nomads in 2023
Are you a digital nomad visiting Playa del Carmen and looking for the best cafes to work from? You’ve come to the right place!
I’m a travel blogger that lives in Playa del Carmen, so I’m always trying out the best coffee shops, restaurants, and cafes for remote working.
In this post, I’m sharing my top recommendations for the best coffee shops in Playa del Carmen that are suited for digital nomads.
All of them are digital nomad approved with reliable wifi, abundant electrical outlets, and a tasty menu.
Read on to find out where to work from in Playa del Carmen!
Best Coffee Shops in Playa del Carmen for Digital Nomads
These are the best cafes in Playa del Carmen for digital nomads, which are a great alternative to coworking spaces:
1. Marley Coffee
Located at the Fives Downtown Hotel, Marley Coffee is a cute Bob Marley inspired coffee shop in Playa del Carmen.
This easy-going cafe is decked out with Bob Marley decor and complete with soft reggae background music.
The coffee menu is very good and they offer a range of very tempting desserts and pastries–the oreo cheesecake in the pastry window is always calling my name!
While I love the overall vibe at Marley Coffee, the one thing I don’t like about it is that the majority of the tables are very low, more like coffee table style.
This can be uncomfortable for your back if you’re going to be working on a laptop for several hours.
But overall, the vibe is unique and the food is good, making Marley Coffee a chill and comfortable working spot.
📍 Location: Calle 2 and Avenida 10
🕒 Hours: Daily from 7AM–10PM
🔌 Related Reading: Which plug is used in Mexico?
2. Starbucks
Normally I wouldn’t want to recommend a large international coffee chain but to be completely honest, I really do enjoy working from Starbucks in Playa del Carmen.
There are 5 downtown locations to choose from along 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen–each with a slightly different setup.
My favorites to work from are the ones at Quinta Alegria shopping mall and the one on the corner of 5th Avenue and 28th Street.
The menu is pretty much the same as in the US, but there are some items that you won’t find in Mexico, mainly the pastries and sandwiches.
I’ve found the wifi speed is decent and will suffice for your everyday internet browsing, but it’s probably not the best quality for video calls.
What is amazing, however, is that the air conditioning is always on FULL blast. You will definitely want to bring a sweater!
📍 Locations:
- Paseo del Carmen Shopping Mall
- 5th Avenue and 10th Street
- Calle Corazon Shopping Mall
- Quinta Alegria Shopping Mall
- 5th Avenue and 28th Street
🕒 Hours: Daily from 6:30AM–10:30PM
💻 Do you have a VPN? Every time you’re working on a public wifi network (such as in a coffee shop), it’s best to use a VPN to secure your internet activity and prevent you from getting hacked. I personally use and recommend Nord VPN, which is affordable and secure.
3. Mercado 30
Located in the residential Colonia Hollywood neighborhood, Mercado 30 is an open-air restaurant complex that has become a digital nomad hotspot.
There are two restaurants in the complex–Bajo Cafe and Peace & Bowl. While dining there, you can order food and drinks and mix and match from both menus.
Mercado 30 is always busy and an extremely popular working spot for digital nomads–this is the place to go if you want to get out from your apartment rental!
Bajo Cafe
As one of the restaurants within Mercado 30, Bajo Cafe offers a mix of Mexican and international cuisine for breakfast and lunch.
They have a popular combo option on the menu where you can order a starter, main dish, and dessert for only $130 pesos. Check out the full menu here.
It’s important to note that there is NOT air conditioning at Bajo Cafe but they do have plenty of large fans to keep you cool.
The wifi is decent, there are many plugs available, and you’ll be surrounded by a ton of other working nomads.
📍 Location: Calle 30 between Avenida 25 y 30
🕒 Hours: Mon–Sat from 8AM–10PM (Closed Sundays)
Peace & Bowl
Just behind Bajo Cafe in Mercado 30, you’ll find Peace & Bowl, which is a colorful smoothie and juice bar.
It’s my favorite spot for smoothies, açaí bowls, and healthy meals in Playa del Carmen.
All the ingredients are super fresh and colorful and the menu is packed with loads of healthy vegetarian and vegan options for breakfast or lunch.
With its location in Mercado 30, it’s a great place to work and enjoy a healthy treat. And there’s even a small swimming pool in the back!
📍 Location: Calle 30 between Avenida 25 y 30
🕒 Hours: Mon–Sat from 8:30AM–10PM (Closed Sundays)
4. Ah Cacao
Ah Cacao is a popular cafe that is known for its chocolate and for having some of the best coffee Playa del Carmen has to offer.
There are 4 locations to choose from in downtown Playa del Carmen along 5th Avenue.
I would definitely recommend the location on 5th Avenue and 38th Street as it is the most spacious and offers 2 levels of seating.
The wifi can be spotty sometimes but it’s usually just because it requires you to reconnect to the network after so many minutes.
The food menu at Ah Cacao is not extensive and they don’t have as many sandwiches or pastry options as other cafes.
But they are best known for their specialty coffee, frappes, smoothies, and chocolate drinks–which are all delicious!
You can also pick up ground coffee, cacao, and chocolate ice creams. I usually just come for the coffee and end up going somewhere nearby for lunch.
📍 Locations:
- 5th Avenue and 2nd Street
- 5th Avenue and Constituyentes
- 5th Avenue and 30th Street
- 5th Avenue and 38th Street
🕒 Hours: Daily from 7:15AM–11:15PM
5. Basic Foodie
Basic Foodie is a bakery and cafe that recently relocated to a new location in the Colonia Hollywood neighborhood.
The atmosphere at Basic Foodie is very trendy as it’s located in the middle of an interior design store.
The food menu offers a good variety of pastries, artisan breads, bagels, flatbreads, and sandwiches. The grilled cheese sandwich is tasty and filling!
Overall, it’s a very cool indoor/outdoor working space and the new central location makes it a convenient place to work.
📍 Location: Avenida 25 between Calle 26 y 28
🕒 Hours: Mon–Fri 7:30AM–6PM, Sat–Sun 7:30AM–3PM
6. Bistro Playa
Bistro Playa is a new Playa del Carmen cafe located on 1st Avenue in between 26th and 28th Street. You can find it right next to Rockas Jamaican Kitchen.
They have a full food and beverage menu for breakfast and lunch so you can order something light like coffee, fresh juices, and pastries or something a little more hearty like chilaquiles.
They also have a couple of outdoor tables for working or dining.
📍 Location: 1st Avenue between Calle 26 y 28
🕒 Hours: Daily from 7:30AM–2PM (Closed Tuesdays)
7. Choux Choux Cafe
So I hesitated putting Choux Choux Cafe on this list, but I think it’s important to mention.
I always hear a lot of digital nomads rave about Choux Choux but I’ve honestly never had a good experience working there.
Each time I’ve given it a try, the service has been slow (almost non-existent) and the wifi was terrible.
The food that I’ve tried there is pretty good and they have a unique menu with healthy items and kombuchas. Overall, it seems to be pretty hit or miss.
Also, Choux Choux Cafe does NOT have air conditioning so make sure you get a seat near a fan.
📍 Location: Avenida 20 and Calle 24
🕒 Hours: Mon–Sat from 7AM–5:30PM, Sunday from 7AM–2:30PM
8. Carlota Home Bakery
Disclaimer: Carlota Home Bakery is not really the best place to work but it’s such a cute coffee shop I wanted to add it to the list.
The reason it’s not a great place to work is that it’s super tiny with just a few tables and has no air conditioning.
I have never actually tried to work from there so I’m not sure what the wifi is like.
BUT I can attest to the fact that the coffee and bakery treats are really tasty. The mini donuts are just too cute to pass up!
It’s a great spot for a leisurely cup of coffee or espresso and there are a few outdoor tables where you can enjoy your cafe.
📍 Location: 1st Avenue and Calle 16 Bis
🕒 Hours: Daily from 7AM–10PM
9. Le P’tit Shoux
Located towards the end of 5th Avenue at 56th Street, Le P’tit Shoux is one of the newest and cutest breakfast spots in Playa del Carmen.
This cafe is operated by the same owners as Choux Choux but from my experience, the food, service, and wifi here is much better!
At Le P’tit Shoux, you’ll find an earthy open-air cafe offering pastries and coffee, as well as full breakfast and lunch dishes.
There is no air conditioning at Le P’tit Shoux but there are electrical outlets near almost every table and the wifi is decent.
With a cool earthy vibe, it’s one of my new favorite Playa del Carmen cafes for working.
📍 Location: 5th Avenue and Calle 56
🕒 Hours: Mon–Sat from 7AM–5:30PM, Sunday from 7AM–2:30PM
10. El Gran Cafe de la Avenida
Located on 5th Avenue and 54th Street, El Gran Cafe de la Avenida is a new open-air coffee bar and restaurant that has quickly become one of my new favorites!
The cafe’s design is elevated by mod furnishings, elegant columns, and gold touched accents.
The breakfast and lunch menu offers a range of Mexican and American dishes, pastries, coffee, and juices. You’ll even be treated to gold utensils 💁🏼♀️
As a working spot, it offers a more tranquil open-air setting, strong wifi, and plugs at many of the tables.
📍 Location: 5th Avenue and Calle 54
🕒 Hours: Daily from 8AM–4PM
11. Quadra Cafe
Located on CTM and 10th Avenue, Quadra Cafe is a modern coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating.
This cafe offers speciality coffee so you’ll find more elevated coffee offerings from different dripping methods like french press and aeropress.
Plus, they have very affordable lunch specials and combo deals that you can enjoy while working.
One thing to note is that with the indoor/outdoor seating, it can get pretty hot working here during the summer months.
📍 Location: CTM and Avenida 10
🕒 Hours: Daily from 7:30AM–4PM (Closed Sundays)
12. Ojo de Agua
Ojo de Agua is a trendy Playa del Carmen restaurant and healthy food market with two different locations in downtown Playa del Carmen.
The restaurant features a huge menu of breakfast and lunch dishes that can be enjoyed throughout the entire day.
Plus, you can pair your meal with a variety of coffees, natural juices, healthy smoothies, and fresh fruit waters.
With its stylish atmosphere, good wifi, and uniquely delicious eats, it has quickly become one of my favorite working spots in Playa del Carmen.
You can grab a table indoors for air conditioned seating or head to the cute outdoor patio with a tropical vibe to dine al fresco.
📍 Locations:
🕒 Hours:
- CTM: Mon–Sat from 7:30AM–6PM, Sun from 7:30AM–5PM
- 38th Street: Daily from 8AM–8PM
Conclusion: Best Cafes to Work From in Playa del Carmen
I hope this guide was useful if you’re looking for a coffee shop for digital nomads in Playa del Carmen!
All of these cafes are suitable for remote working with good wifi and outlets available.
I’ve spent several hours at all of these cafes working from my laptop. And when I’m not at a cafe, you can find me at one of these beautiful beachfront working spots!
No matter which spot you choose, you’ll definitely be treated to good food, quality wifi, and Playa del Carmen’s laid-back tropical vibe.
Check out my other Playa del Carmen digital nomad guides for more helpful information:
- Best Beachfront Working Spots in Playa del Carmen
- Best Coworking Spaces in Playa del Carmen
- How to Find a Playa del Carmen Long Term Rental
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