Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguascalientes and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguascalientes: $1,092 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Aguascalientes
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Aguascalientes Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Aguascalientes

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,092

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aguascalientes and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aguascalientes and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,092 in Aguascalientes versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Aguascalientes $1,092
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,731 in Aguascalientes versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Aguascalientes $1,731
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,369 in Aguascalientes versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Aguascalientes $2,369
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Aguascalientes costs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aguascalientes 19% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 MX$229

$10.76 MX$199

15.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.61 MX$806

$43.03 MX$795

1.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 MX$131

$11.79 MX$218

-39.69%

Cappuccino

$3.66 MX$67.6

$3.87 MX$71.4

-5.43%

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

$1.67 MX$30.86

$1.37 MX$25.29

21.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.02

$0.84 MX$15.44

48.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 MX$41.02

$3.10 MX$57.3

-28.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 MX$61.7

$5.07 MX$93.6

-34.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$27.63

$1.44 MX$26.55

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 MX$40.35

$2.23 MX$41.23

-2.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MX$28.40

$1.47 MX$27.17

4.76%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.90

$2.53 MX$46.71

-1.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 MX$149

$7.30 MX$135

10.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.17 MX$151

$7.86 MX$145

3.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 MX$215

$12.79 MX$236

-8.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.93

$2.90 MX$53.6

-23.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MX$24.42

$1.44 MX$26.53

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 MX$28.51

$2.55 MX$47.07

-39.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 MX$31.21

$2.06 MX$38.03

-17.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 MX$28.92

$2.00 MX$36.97

-21.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 MX$26.06

$2.01 MX$37.07

-29.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 MX$18.90

$1.19 MX$22.02

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.61

$1.26 MX$23.23

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 MX$83.0

$4.40 MX$81.4

2.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.92 MX$165

$9.59 MX$177

-6.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 MX$33.90

$1.59 MX$29.41

15.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$2.81 MX$51.9

18.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MX$11.62

$0.57 MX$10.47

10.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.57 MX$454

$27.82 MX$514

-11.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 MX$23.28

$4.98 MX$92.1

-74.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$20.36

$3.50 MX$64.6

-68.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.79 MX$199

$5.40 MX$99.8

99.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.16

$1.47 MX$27.08

3.40%

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

$21.5K MX$396.5K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

2.24%

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

$23.7K MX$437.8K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-0.90%

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

$55.3 MX$1,023

$84.2 MX$1,556

-34.30%

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

$24.53 MX$453

$23.99 MX$443

2.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.95 MX$461

$29.02 MX$536

-14.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.67 MX$585

$63.0 MX$1,164

-49.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.89 MX$405

$29.14 MX$539

-24.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 MX$96.4

$4.94 MX$91.3

5.47%

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

$211 MX$3,894

$204 MX$3,763

3.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,871 MX$53.0K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

-27.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 MX$1,018

$43.60 MX$806

26.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.63 MX$695

$43.12 MX$797

-12.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,900

$75.8 MX$1,400

35.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 MX$1,319

$88.6 MX$1,637

-19.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 MX$9,285

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-50.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 MX$6,577

$374 MX$6,911

-4.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 MX$14.9K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-52.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 MX$11.6K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-43.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,163 MX$21.5K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-70.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,194 MX$22.1K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-80.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$854 MX$15.8K

$754 MX$13.9K

13.24%

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: October 10, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aguascalientes

$356 32.6%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 5.1% $18

Groceries & Markets

Aguascalientes

$242 22.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 6.9% $17

Eating Out

Aguascalientes

$194 17.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 4.4% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Aguascalientes

$120 11%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 5.9% $7.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aguascalientes

$105 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 30.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Aguascalientes

$42 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 73.1% $31

Getting Around

Aguascalientes

$34 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 55.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $502 in Aguascalientes and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Aguascalientes vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $258, with Aguascalientes cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Aguascalientes

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:53 9:53 AM

10:53 10:53 AM

1 h ahead of Aguascalientes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

863,893

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Aguascalientes Playa del Carmen 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Aguascalientes
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and utilities. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $502 in Aguascalientes versus $1,008 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 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $211 in Aguascalientes versus $204 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,092 in Aguascalientes versus $1,210 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.