Playa del Carmen weather in December

In December, Playa del Carmen sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 54 mm of rain across 10.7 wet days and about 10.8 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 48 min at the start of December to 10 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Playa del Carmen's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Playa del Carmen's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
10th warmest
Overnight low
23°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
54 mm
10.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
6:22 AM – 5:07 PM
Cloud cover
47%
5th clearest
Wind
17 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.71 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Playa del Carmen is municipal seat of Playa del Carmen, State of Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Founded
1937

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month.

A typical December day in Playa del Carmen reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and on par with January.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12723
22723
32723
42723
52723
62723
72723
82723
92623
102623
112623
122623
132623
142623
152623
162623
172623
182623
192623
202623
212623
222623
232623
242623
252623
262623
272623
282623
292623
302623
312622

How December really feels in Playa del Carmen

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Playa del Carmen weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 22°5510.510.96.9
Feb26° / 23°276.511.37.4
Mar27° / 23°275.811.97.5
Apr28° / 24°325.912.57.0
May29° / 25°8311.7135.6
Jun29° / 26°15417.313.24.5
Jul30° / 26°8014.113.14.8
Aug30° / 26°10016.812.74.4
Sep29° / 26°1662212.13.8
Oct28° / 25°18819.511.54.6
Nov27° / 24°8411.9116.3
Dec26° / 23°5410.710.86.7

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 24% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 30%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17030
27129
37129
47228
57228
67228
77327
87327
97228
107228
117228
127129
137129
147030
157030
167030
176931
186931
196931
206931
216931
226931
236931
246931
257030
267030
277030
287030
297030
306931
316931

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Playa del Carmen gets around 54 mm of rain over 10.7 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 35% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
133
233
334
434
534
634
734
835
935
1035
1135
1236
1336
1436
1536
1637
1737
1837
1936
2036
2136
2235
2335
2435
2534
2634
2733
2833
2933
3033
3133

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the oppressive band about 45% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 75% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1041332473
2051332483
3051331483
4051331483
5061330483
6061330492
7071329492
8071428492
9181427492
10181526492
11181526492
12191625481
13191725481
14191724481
15191824471
16191824461
171101924461
181101925451
191101925441
201101926431
211101927421
221101928411
231101829411
241101830411
251101731411
261101631411
271111531411
281111532411
291111432411
301111431411
312121431411

Wind in December

Winds average 17 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 17 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
117light breeze
217light breeze
317light breeze
417light breeze
517light breeze
617light breeze
717light breeze
816light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1217light breeze
1317light breeze
1417light breeze
1517light breeze
1617light breeze
1717light breeze
1817light breeze
1917light breeze
2017light breeze
2117light breeze
2217light breeze
2317light breeze
2417light breeze
2517light breeze
2617light breeze
2717light breeze
2817light breeze
2917light breeze
3017light breeze
3117light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 48 min at the start of December to 10 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 0 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:13 AM to 6:29 AM, and sunset from 5:03 PM to 5:14 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.86:135:03
210.86:145:03
310.86:145:04
410.86:155:04
510.86:155:04
610.86:165:04
710.86:175:04
810.86:175:05
910.86:185:05
1010.86:185:05
1110.86:195:05
1210.86:205:06
1310.86:205:06
1410.86:215:06
1510.86:215:07
1610.86:225:07
1710.86:225:08
1810.86:235:08
1910.76:235:08
2010.76:245:09
2110.76:245:09
2210.76:255:10
2310.76:255:10
2410.76:265:11
2510.76:265:11
2610.86:275:12
2710.86:275:12
2810.86:275:13
2910.86:285:13
3010.86:285:14
3110.86:295:14

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.71 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.71 kWh/m² to a high of 6.41 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 3.71 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.8Moderate
63.8Moderate
73.8Moderate
83.8Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.7Moderate
113.7Moderate
123.7Moderate
133.7Moderate
143.7Moderate
153.7Moderate
163.7Moderate
173.6Moderate
183.6Moderate
193.6Moderate
203.6Moderate
213.6Moderate
223.6Moderate
233.7Moderate
243.7Moderate
253.7Moderate
263.7Moderate
273.7Moderate
283.7Moderate
293.7Moderate
303.7Moderate
313.7Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Playa del Carmen

In seasonPeak

None of Playa del Carmen's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Playa del Carmen sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Playa del Carmen's rainy season runs August–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Atlantic hurricane
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Playa del Carmen?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.7
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
6.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Playa del Carmen for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Playa del Carmen in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Playa del Carmen sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 23°C. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Playa del Carmen in December

The nearest coast averages about 27°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 27°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr27Warm
May28Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec27Warm

UV index in Playa del Carmen in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Playa del Carmen peaks around April 18 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 6 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highHighApr 18UV 12Dec 15UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan7Very high
Feb10Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct10Very high
Nov7High
Dec6High

Air quality in Playa del Carmen in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Playa del Carmen is worst in June — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.1× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJun 2024 µg/m³Nov 226 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb7Good
Mar8Good
Apr12Good
May15Moderate
Jun25Moderate
Jul22Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Playa del Carmen?

Playa del Carmen sits at 20.6°N, 87.1°W, 9 m above sea level, in Mexico. The nearest listed city is Cozumel, 20 km away.

Topography around Playa del Carmen

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Playa del Carmen.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Playa del Carmen has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 16 m around an average of 6 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 26 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 36 m.

The land around Playa del Carmen is covered by artificial surfaces (43%) and water (32%) within 3 km, water (49%) and trees (42%) within 16 km, and trees (51%) and water (45%) within 80 km.

3 km
16 m
16 km
26 m
80 km
36 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
December weather nearby: Cozumel 20 km · Tulum 61 km · Cancun 65 km · Isla Mujeres 76 km · Valladolid 117 km · Tizimín 125 km · Felipe Carrillo Puerto 154 km · Chichen Itza 155 km

Mexico travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 / 127 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 54% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$13,889
2025
Happiness
7.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
43%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
24.9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 440
Religion
Catholic 78%no religion 11%other Evangelical Churches 8%Jehovah Witness 1%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Playa del Carmen (20.6274°, -87.0799°, elevation 9 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).