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: $1,284 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,128 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,972 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Atotonilco el Alto is roughly 1% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Atotonilco el Alto 6% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.77 MX$202

$11.60 MX$199

1.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.9 MX$1,132

$47.11 MX$809

39.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.38 MX$161

$11.88 MX$204

-21.04%

Cappuccino

$3.77 MX$64.7

$3.98 MX$68.2

-5.28%

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

$1.79 MX$30.71

$1.43 MX$24.49

25.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.64

$0.82 MX$14.16

39.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$3.19 MX$54.7

15.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$98.5

$6.79 MX$117

-15.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 MX$33.72

$1.68 MX$28.76

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 MX$49.43

$2.20 MX$37.71

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.57

$1.71 MX$29.32

21.05%

Eggs

$2.99 MX$51.4

$2.74 MX$47.05

9.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 MX$160

$9.58 MX$164

-2.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 MX$164

$9.01 MX$155

5.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.31 MX$246

$12.81 MX$220

11.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 MX$63.5

$2.89 MX$49.58

28.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.16

$1.50 MX$25.70

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 MX$39.72

$2.15 MX$36.87

7.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.33

$2.26 MX$38.79

-11.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.32

$1.98 MX$34.00

1.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.05

$1.99 MX$34.15

-3.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 MX$28.24

$1.23 MX$21.18

34.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$21.33

$1.20 MX$20.54

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$82.4

$4.55 MX$78.1

5.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.86 MX$324

$10.37 MX$178

81.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 MX$41.90

$1.62 MX$27.79

50.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 MX$75.5

$2.88 MX$49.44

52.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.24

$0.60 MX$10.30

28.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 MX$60.3

$5.39 MX$92.5

-34.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.78 MX$47.80

$3.73 MX$64.0

-25.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.50 MX$197

$5.77 MX$99.0

99.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.23

$1.54 MX$26.37

6.49%

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

$22.6K MX$388.4K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

0.36%

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

$25.3K MX$434.6K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

-2.84%

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

$65.6 MX$1,126

$91.4 MX$1,569

-28.23%

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

$28.73 MX$493

$25.20 MX$433

14.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.12 MX$465

$31.24 MX$536

-13.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.72 MX$682

$67.2 MX$1,154

-40.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 MX$421

$29.11 MX$500

-15.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 MX$135

$4.86 MX$83.5

61.52%

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

$279 MX$4,789

$224 MX$3,839

24.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,373 MX$92.2K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

27.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 MX$970

$47.10 MX$808

19.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.41 MX$831

$44.29 MX$760

9.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,814

$80.1 MX$1,375

31.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 MX$1,786

$92.7 MX$1,591

12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$637 MX$10.9K

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 MX$6,640

$390 MX$6,698

-0.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 MX$21.2K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-42.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 MX$13.1K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-39.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,714 MX$29.4K

$4,001 MX$68.7K

-57.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,238 MX$21.2K

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-80.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.99

11.45

4.72%

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

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $637 in Atotonilco el Alto and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Atotonilco el Alto vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $276 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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,926 in Atotonilco el Alto and $1,899 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: $637 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $224 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 Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $66.0 in Atotonilco el Alto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,284 in Atotonilco el Alto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Atotonilco el Alto. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Atotonilco el Alto, 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Atotonilco el Alto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.