Cost of Living Comparison Between Atotonilco el Alto and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Atotonilco el Alto and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,154 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,860 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,565 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Atotonilco el Alto costs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Atotonilco el Alto 14% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.66 MX$168

$11.94 MX$208

-19.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.10 MX$819

$42.75 MX$744

10.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 MX$137

$10.59 MX$184

-25.68%

Cappuccino

$3.53 MX$61.5

$3.62 MX$63.0

-2.49%

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

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.47 MX$25.54

-11.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.94 MX$16.41

1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$41.94

$3.09 MX$53.8

-22.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 MX$74.4

$4.46 MX$77.6

-4.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.74

$1.43 MX$24.80

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.15

$1.88 MX$32.79

40.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.18

$1.63 MX$28.34

20.25%

Eggs

$2.31 MX$40.14

$2.64 MX$45.99

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.04 MX$140

$8.21 MX$143

-2.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 MX$171

$8.29 MX$144

18.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.88 MX$224

$11.10 MX$193

16.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 MX$61.7

$2.65 MX$46.14

33.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.69

$1.50 MX$26.11

2.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.12

$1.99 MX$34.59

-7.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.69

$2.08 MX$36.13

-17.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.97

$1.79 MX$31.11

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 MX$31.95

$2.18 MX$37.87

-15.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MX$22.62

$1.08 MX$18.73

20.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.21

$1.04 MX$18.04

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$74.8

$3.97 MX$69.1

8.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 MX$301

$10.20 MX$178

69.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.68

$1.73 MX$30.04

12.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MX$57.3

$2.50 MX$43.46

31.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.31

$0.52 MX$9.02

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MX$20.86

$2.40 MX$41.80

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.16 MX$159

$3.09 MX$53.7

196.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.68

$1.27 MX$22.16

-1.57%

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

$19.8K MX$344.3K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-35.93%

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

$20.2K MX$352.3K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

-13.15%

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

$62.5 MX$1,087

$82.0 MX$1,427

-23.83%

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

$24.07 MX$419

$22.45 MX$391

7.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.13 MX$489

$29.66 MX$516

-5.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.80 MX$623

$51.9 MX$903

-30.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.08 MX$280

$18.67 MX$325

-13.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 MX$106

$4.97 MX$86.5

22.13%

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

$316 MX$5,503

$198 MX$3,442

59.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,910 MX$85.4K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-6.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 MX$896

$36.34 MX$632

41.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.29 MX$736

$40.05 MX$697

5.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 MX$1,709

$79.9 MX$1,390

22.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 MX$1,664

$88.9 MX$1,547

7.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 MX$8,955

$963 MX$16.8K

-46.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MX$6,901

$465 MX$8,086

-14.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 MX$15.9K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-42.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 MX$13.1K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-37.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,865 MX$32.5K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-52.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,350 MX$23.5K

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-79.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.42

1.14%

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

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Atotonilco el Alto and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Atotonilco el Alto vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $251 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

Atotonilco el Alto vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Atotonilco el Alto is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,731 in Atotonilco el Alto and $1,930 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $515 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Atotonilco el Alto – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,154 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Atotonilco el Alto but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Atotonilco el Alto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Atotonilco el Alto 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, Atotonilco el Alto 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 Atotonilco el Alto 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.