Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Obregon and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Obregon and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,992 in Ciudad Obregon versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,761 in Ciudad Obregon versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ciudad Obregon costs roughly 5% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ciudad Obregon 11% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.23 MX$223

$11.71 MX$198

12.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$872

$46.59 MX$787

10.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 MX$160

$11.65 MX$197

-18.63%

Cappuccino

$3.84 MX$64.9

$4.09 MX$69.1

-6.11%

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

$1.42 MX$24.03

$1.37 MX$23.21

3.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.50

$0.83 MX$14.08

18.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 MX$47.97

$3.35 MX$56.6

-15.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$74.5

$6.91 MX$117

-36.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MX$30.06

$1.73 MX$29.16

2.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 MX$47.69

$2.26 MX$38.17

24.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 MX$30.64

$1.77 MX$29.88

2.26%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$42.66

$2.73 MX$46.14

-7.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 MX$145

$9.18 MX$155

-6.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 MX$155

$8.92 MX$151

2.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.22 MX$206

$12.60 MX$213

-3.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 MX$48.58

$3.02 MX$51.0

-4.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MX$28.50

$1.57 MX$26.52

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.10

$2.13 MX$35.89

-5.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$33.29

$2.26 MX$38.23

-12.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$36.84

$2.00 MX$33.84

9.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$2.06 MX$34.86

3.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MX$26.38

$1.18 MX$19.92

32.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$19.81

$1.20 MX$20.33

-2.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$81.0

$4.63 MX$78.3

3.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 MX$171

$10.69 MX$180

-5.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$32.49

$1.62 MX$27.35

18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 MX$58.4

$2.88 MX$48.65

20.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$11.52

$0.57 MX$9.68

19.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 MX$50.0

$5.45 MX$92.0

-45.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 MX$35.85

$3.70 MX$62.6

-42.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.21 MX$206

$5.98 MX$101

104.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$23.86

$1.55 MX$26.23

-9.03%

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

$20.9K MX$352.3K

$22.3K MX$377.0K

-6.56%

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

$23.8K MX$402.7K

$25.9K MX$438.2K

-8.09%

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

$54.4 MX$919

$89.1 MX$1,505

-38.94%

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

$23.58 MX$398

$25.04 MX$423

-5.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.79 MX$587

$31.50 MX$532

10.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.37 MX$631

$67.8 MX$1,145

-44.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.65 MX$366

$28.92 MX$488

-25.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.57 MX$94.0

$5.05 MX$85.3

10.30%

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

$247 MX$4,176

$225 MX$3,798

9.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,985 MX$84.2K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

18.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 MX$992

$47.44 MX$801

23.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.26 MX$764

$44.98 MX$759

0.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,813

$82.0 MX$1,384

30.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.9 MX$1,552

$92.1 MX$1,555

-0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 MX$10.1K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-44.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 MX$7,190

$405 MX$6,844

5.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$16.8K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-48.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 MX$15.3K

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-30.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,984 MX$33.5K

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-50.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,225 MX$20.7K

$6,626 MX$111.9K

-81.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,268 MX$21.4K

$749 MX$12.6K

69.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.45

-1.31%

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

Last update for Ciudad Obregon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $597 in Ciudad Obregon and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 69% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Ciudad Obregon vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $277 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

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

Ciudad Obregon wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ciudad Obregon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Ciudad Obregon, 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: $597 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $247 in Ciudad Obregon versus $225 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 Ciudad Obregon – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,223 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Obregon but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Obregon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ciudad Obregon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ciudad Obregon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ciudad Obregon 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 Ciudad Obregon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.