Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cholula and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Cholula: $1,077 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Cholula
Learn more

Cholula Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Cholula

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,077

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cholula 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 Cholula and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,077 per month in Cholula vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cholula $1,077
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,703 per month in Cholula vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cholula $1,703
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,329 per month in Cholula vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cholula $2,329
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Cholula is about 11% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cholula and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Cholula 21% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.74 MX$199

$10.92 MX$203

-1.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 MX$874

$43.37 MX$805

8.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 MX$170

$11.78 MX$219

-22.33%

Cappuccino

$3.13 MX$58.2

$3.81 MX$70.7

-17.85%

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

$1.51 MX$28.02

$1.28 MX$23.81

17.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$21.47

$0.78 MX$14.54

48.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 MX$49.26

$3.17 MX$58.8

-16.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 MX$87.6

$4.93 MX$91.7

-4.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$1.41 MX$26.12

34.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 MX$56.8

$2.22 MX$41.17

37.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MX$32.11

$1.42 MX$26.32

21.83%

Eggs

$2.65 MX$49.15

$2.52 MX$46.85

5.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.22 MX$116

$7.26 MX$135

-14.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.54 MX$103

$7.70 MX$143

-28.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 MX$202

$12.69 MX$236

-14.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 MX$47.48

$2.78 MX$51.7

-7.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$32.36

$1.37 MX$25.41

27.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.36

$2.55 MX$47.37

-25.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.93

$2.12 MX$39.43

-8.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 MX$32.61

$1.94 MX$36.00

-9.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 MX$32.91

$1.89 MX$35.02

-6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$27.17

$1.15 MX$21.29

26.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.39

$1.18 MX$21.89

2.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MX$83.0

$4.30 MX$79.8

3.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 MX$255

$9.95 MX$185

37.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$25.65

$1.58 MX$29.41

-12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$47.94

$2.67 MX$49.60

-3.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 MX$8.90

$0.55 MX$10.28

-12.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.92 MX$351

$26.62 MX$494

-28.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 MX$61.1

$4.97 MX$92.3

-33.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 MX$46.97

$3.33 MX$61.9

-24.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 MX$293

$5.36 MX$99.5

194.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.14

$1.44 MX$26.82

-2.08%

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

$24.6K MX$457.5K

$20.7K MX$383.8K

19.21%

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

$22.9K MX$425.6K

$23.5K MX$435.8K

-2.32%

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

$58.1 MX$1,079

$84.8 MX$1,575

-31.48%

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

$18.53 MX$344

$23.41 MX$435

-20.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.47 MX$436

$28.66 MX$532

-18.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.3 MX$1,324

$57.1 MX$1,059

25.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.93 MX$370

$28.91 MX$537

-31.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 MX$101

$5.14 MX$95.4

6.03%

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

$257 MX$4,777

$207 MX$3,836

24.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,548 MX$84.5K

$3,927 MX$72.9K

15.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 MX$953

$43.35 MX$805

18.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.70 MX$812

$41.44 MX$770

5.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,894

$74.2 MX$1,378

37.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 MX$1,782

$89.3 MX$1,657

7.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$431 MX$8,007

$980 MX$18.2K

-55.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 MX$5,314

$381 MX$7,072

-24.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 MX$10.8K

$1,708 MX$31.7K

-65.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 MX$8,769

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-56.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,927 MX$35.8K

$3,943 MX$73.2K

-51.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,145 MX$21.3K

$6,158 MX$114.4K

-81.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$792 MX$14.7K

$735 MX$13.6K

7.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.96

11.45

-4.28%

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

Last update for Cholula: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cholula

$286 26.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 33.1% $95

Groceries & Markets

Cholula

$255 23.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 0.2% $0.5

Eating Out

Cholula

$184 17.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 9.8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Cholula

$132 12.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 15.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cholula

$100 9.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 36.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Cholula

$82 7.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 18.1% $15

Getting Around

Cholula

$37 3.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 37.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $431 in Cholula versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Cholula, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Cholula versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Cholula vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Cholula wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cholula

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

23:14 11:14 PM

1 h ahead of Cholula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

908

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cholula Playa del Carmen 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Cholula
Playa del Carmen

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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 12% more than Cholula, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,615 per month in Cholula and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cholula, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $431 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,077 in Cholula and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Cholula about 11% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $257 per month in Cholula and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,077 in Cholula and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cholula costs $1,077 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.