It depends on your timeline: Furnished (6-12 months) — Best for your first year while you figure out if PDC is for you. Expect to pay 20-30% more in rent but zero setup hassle. Most come with AC, fridge, stove, bed, and basic kitchen stuff. Unfurnished (12+ months) — If you're committed to staying, this saves money long-term. You can furnish a 1BR apartment from Coppel, Elektra, or Facebook Marketplace for $15,000-25,000 MXN ($800-1400 USD). IKEA delivers from CDMX but shipping takes 2-3 weeks. What I did: Rented furnished for 6 months, then found an unfurnished place I loved and bought secondhand furniture from expats leaving town. The Facebook groups "Playa del Carmen Buy/Sell" and "Expats Leaving Mexico — Selling Everything" are gold mines. One gotcha: some "furnished" apartments have the absolute bare minimum — a bed frame with no mattress, a table with no chairs. Always ask for detailed photos or visit in person.