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: $1,166 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,843 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,520 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Atotonilco el Alto costs roughly 7% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Atotonilco el Alto 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.82 MX$170

$11.72 MX$203

-16.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 MX$799

$41.89 MX$725

10.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 MX$141

$10.51 MX$182

-22.74%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.6

$3.59 MX$62.0

2.51%

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

$1.26 MX$21.74

$1.51 MX$26.10

-16.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.32

$0.92 MX$15.83

2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 MX$42.35

$2.96 MX$51.2

-17.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$74.8

$4.41 MX$76.3

-2.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.88

$1.40 MX$24.16

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$46.15

$1.88 MX$32.60

42.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.91

$1.56 MX$26.97

29.49%

Eggs

$2.41 MX$41.62

$2.61 MX$45.14

-7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 MX$142

$8.32 MX$144

-1.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 MX$171

$8.35 MX$145

18.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 MX$223

$10.86 MX$188

18.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 MX$64.2

$2.71 MX$46.93

36.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.44

$1.51 MX$26.04

1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.17

$1.87 MX$32.41

2.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$29.87

$2.19 MX$37.89

-21.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.86

$1.86 MX$32.14

-4.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.90

$2.23 MX$38.59

-14.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.07 MX$18.48

22.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.21

$1.09 MX$18.79

1.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 MX$72.8

$4.19 MX$72.4

0.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$292

$10.43 MX$180

61.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.52

$1.66 MX$28.68

16.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.61 MX$45.19

20.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.20

$0.54 MX$9.37

20.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.1

$3.08 MX$53.3

3.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MX$21.64

$2.40 MX$41.61

-47.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.34 MX$162

$3.13 MX$54.1

198.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.80

$1.31 MX$22.69

-3.82%

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

$19.8K MX$341.9K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-33.70%

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

$20.1K MX$347.5K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-13.89%

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

$62.1 MX$1,074

$81.3 MX$1,406

-23.63%

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

$23.55 MX$407

$22.56 MX$390

4.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.87 MX$482

$30.05 MX$520

-7.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.48 MX$614

$52.9 MX$915

-32.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 MX$277

$18.39 MX$318

-12.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 MX$103

$4.92 MX$85.1

21.54%

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

$315 MX$5,445

$201 MX$3,474

56.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,783 MX$82.8K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-7.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.76 MX$861

$35.92 MX$622

38.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$749

$40.13 MX$694

7.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 MX$1,700

$79.7 MX$1,379

23.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 MX$1,673

$86.5 MX$1,496

11.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 MX$8,957

$978 MX$16.9K

-47.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MX$6,737

$470 MX$8,140

-17.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 MX$16.2K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-43.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 MX$13.2K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-36.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,724 MX$29.8K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-56.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 MX$22.0K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-80.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $518 in Atotonilco el Alto and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Atotonilco el Alto vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $252 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,749 in Atotonilco el Alto and $1,890 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: $518 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $315 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $201 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 $46.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,166 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,260 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 8% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.