Cost of Living Comparison Between Acapulco and Puerto Escondido Cost of Living Comparison Between Acapulco and Puerto Escondido

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $924 per month in Acapulco vs $1,235 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Acapulco vs $1,978 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,142 per month in Acapulco vs $2,720 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

Acapulco is about 25% cheaper than Puerto Escondido, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Acapulco and Puerto Escondido are more affordable than the global median – Acapulco 33% lower, Puerto Escondido 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 MX$172

$10.98 MX$186

-7.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.76 MX$706

$46.79 MX$791

-10.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 MX$217

$9.22 MX$156

38.94%

Cappuccino

$4.14 MX$70.0

$3.66 MX$61.8

13.11%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 MX$28.68

$1.50 MX$25.40

13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$29.36

$1.11 MX$18.78

56.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 MX$54.1

$3.30 MX$55.9

-3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 MX$91.0

$4.38 MX$74.1

23.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$28.71

$1.95 MX$32.98

-12.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 MX$53.9

$3.20 MX$54.1

-0.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.97

$1.76 MX$29.73

0.57%

Eggs

$1.96 MX$33.14

$2.93 MX$49.47

-33.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.15 MX$121

$8.92 MX$151

-19.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 MX$148

$11.80 MX$199

-25.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 MX$200

$12.31 MX$208

-3.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 MX$82.7

$2.98 MX$50.4

64.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.08

$1.73 MX$29.30

2.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 MX$61.3

$2.11 MX$35.58

72.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 MX$59.0

$1.95 MX$32.88

78.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.66 MX$61.8

$1.78 MX$30.01

105.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 MX$52.9

$2.17 MX$36.72

44.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MX$23.40

$1.63 MX$27.61

-15.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.26

$1.22 MX$20.56

-26.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.67 MX$147

$4.67 MX$78.9

85.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 MX$123

$11.40 MX$193

-36.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.52

$2.60 MX$43.97

-55.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 MX$50.2

$3.35 MX$56.6

-11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 MX$16.75

$0.89 MX$15.08

11.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$89.6

$2.53 MX$42.82

109.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 MX$31.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.38 MX$209

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$1.44 MX$24.30

9.03%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.1K MX$390.4K

$19.4K MX$328.1K

18.96%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.4K MX$446.7K

$27.2K MX$460.4K

-2.96%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$42.55 MX$719

$53.9 MX$910

-20.98%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$16.05 MX$271

$23.81 MX$402

-32.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.14 MX$391

$40.05 MX$677

-42.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.29 MX$343

$29.09 MX$492

-30.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.98 MX$253

$21.99 MX$372

-31.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.06 MX$68.7

$5.80 MX$98.0

-30.00%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$180 MX$3,036

$246 MX$4,149

-26.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,011 MX$84.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.2 MX$1,187

$63.7 MX$1,077

10.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.62 MX$788

$48.01 MX$811

-2.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 MX$2,009

$112 MX$1,897

5.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,480

$79.3 MX$1,339

10.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 MX$9,392

$660 MX$11.2K

-15.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 MX$2,723

$419 MX$7,077

-61.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 MX$17.7K

$998 MX$16.9K

5.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MX$5,875

$817 MX$13.8K

-57.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,820 MX$30.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,248 MX$21.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$487 MX$8,226

$356 MX$6,020

36.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

11.3

2.65%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Acapulco: August 30, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $556 in Acapulco versus $660 in Puerto Escondido. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Acapulco, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Acapulco versus $47.00 in Puerto Escondido. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $310 – making Acapulco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Acapulco vs Puerto Escondido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Escondido costs about 34% more than Acapulco, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,386 per month in Acapulco and $1,853 in Puerto Escondido. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Acapulco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $924 in Acapulco and $1,235 in Puerto Escondido. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $180 per month in Acapulco and $246 in Puerto Escondido. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Acapulco, where all-in costs run around $924, than in Puerto Escondido at $1,235. In Acapulco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Puerto Escondido it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Acapulco costs $924 versus $1,235 in Puerto Escondido. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Acapulco. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Puerto Escondido makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.