Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguascalientes and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguascalientes and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,167 in Aguascalientes versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,878 in Aguascalientes versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,589 in Aguascalientes versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Aguascalientes costs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aguascalientes 15% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 MX$234

$11.71 MX$199

17.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.62 MX$809

$46.59 MX$792

2.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 MX$129

$11.65 MX$198

-35.02%

Cappuccino

$4.13 MX$70.2

$4.09 MX$69.6

0.98%

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

$1.78 MX$30.18

$1.37 MX$23.35

29.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.22

$0.83 MX$14.17

57.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 MX$41.05

$3.35 MX$57.0

-27.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 MX$60.4

$6.91 MX$117

-48.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.36

$1.73 MX$29.35

-10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$39.55

$2.26 MX$38.41

3.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.70

$1.77 MX$30.07

-11.30%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.09

$2.73 MX$46.43

-5.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.41 MX$143

$9.18 MX$156

-8.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 MX$152

$8.92 MX$152

0.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 MX$207

$12.60 MX$214

-3.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MX$41.23

$3.02 MX$51.3

-19.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.32

$1.57 MX$26.69

-8.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 MX$27.93

$2.13 MX$36.12

-23.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 MX$31.99

$2.26 MX$38.48

-16.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.13

$2.00 MX$34.05

-17.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.68

$2.06 MX$35.08

-26.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.16

$1.18 MX$20.05

-9.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.15

$1.20 MX$20.46

-20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.73 MX$80.5

$4.63 MX$78.8

2.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.66 MX$164

$10.69 MX$182

-9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 MX$31.84

$1.62 MX$27.52

15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 MX$64.0

$2.88 MX$48.96

30.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$11.49

$0.57 MX$9.74

19.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.72 MX$437

$29.83 MX$507

-13.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$22.63

$5.45 MX$92.6

-75.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.25

$3.70 MX$63.0

-67.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 MX$199

$5.98 MX$102

95.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$26.60

$1.55 MX$26.40

1.29%

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

$22.3K MX$379.3K

$22.3K MX$379.4K

-0.04%

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

$25.8K MX$437.7K

$25.9K MX$441.0K

-0.74%

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

$59.2 MX$1,006

$89.1 MX$1,515

-33.57%

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

$26.57 MX$452

$25.04 MX$426

6.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.17 MX$445

$31.50 MX$535

-16.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.31 MX$566

$67.8 MX$1,152

-50.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.06 MX$392

$28.92 MX$491

-20.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 MX$92.2

$5.05 MX$85.8

7.52%

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

$230 MX$3,909

$225 MX$3,823

2.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,096 MX$52.6K

$4,222 MX$71.8K

-26.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 MX$994

$47.44 MX$806

23.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.70 MX$709

$44.98 MX$764

-7.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,902

$82.0 MX$1,393

36.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 MX$1,296

$92.1 MX$1,565

-17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 MX$9,172

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-49.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 MX$6,311

$405 MX$6,888

-8.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 MX$14.4K

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-56.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 MX$11.7K

$1,301 MX$22.1K

-46.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,276 MX$21.7K

$3,995 MX$67.9K

-68.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 MX$21.6K

$6,626 MX$112.6K

-80.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$929 MX$15.8K

$749 MX$12.7K

24.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.2

11.45

-2.18%

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

Last update for Aguascalientes: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $540 in Aguascalientes and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Aguascalientes vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $277, with Aguascalientes cheaper for home cooking.

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

Aguascalientes vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Aguascalientes, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $540 in Aguascalientes versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aguascalientes runs roughly 16% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $230 in Aguascalientes versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,167 in Aguascalientes versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Aguascalientes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Aguascalientes is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Aguascalientes and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Aguascalientes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.