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: $1,041 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,634 in Ciudad Obregon versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,228 in Ciudad Obregon versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ciudad Obregon costs roughly 17% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ciudad Obregon 22% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.50 MX$182

$11.67 MX$202

-10.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 MX$586

$41.88 MX$726

-19.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 MX$119

$10.40 MX$180

-33.75%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MX$38.63

$3.61 MX$62.6

-38.23%

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

$0.69 MX$12.00

$1.47 MX$25.45

-53.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 MX$10.08

$0.91 MX$15.80

-36.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 MX$22.26

$3.03 MX$52.6

-57.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 MX$31.36

$4.47 MX$77.4

-59.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.45

$1.38 MX$23.83

23.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 MX$37.13

$1.84 MX$31.93

16.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.62

$1.61 MX$27.82

-11.80%

Eggs

$2.25 MX$39.01

$2.57 MX$44.52

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.70 MX$81.4

$8.49 MX$147

-44.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.30 MX$91.9

$8.49 MX$147

-37.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 MX$161

$10.99 MX$190

-15.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.13

$2.73 MX$47.25

-34.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.65

$1.50 MX$25.92

22.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.54

$1.96 MX$33.93

-10.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MX$28.08

$2.12 MX$36.70

-23.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.00

$1.86 MX$32.30

-6.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.01

$2.17 MX$37.67

-20.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$1.07 MX$18.59

0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 MX$23.79

$1.05 MX$18.18

30.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 MX$70.1

$4.19 MX$72.6

-3.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 MX$173

$10.28 MX$178

-2.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.65

$1.67 MX$28.87

16.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$48.76

$2.49 MX$43.12

12.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.64

$0.54 MX$9.37

12.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 MX$27.93

$3.10 MX$53.8

-48.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MX$27.76

$2.46 MX$42.66

-34.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 MX$147

$3.24 MX$56.1

161.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.78

$1.26 MX$21.83

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

$16.9K MX$293.2K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

-43.91%

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

$23.2K MX$402.8K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

-0.87%

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

$99.3 MX$1,722

$84.0 MX$1,456

18.28%

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

$22.59 MX$392

$22.21 MX$385

1.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$464

$29.65 MX$514

-9.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.57 MX$634

$52.6 MX$912

-30.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 MX$271

$18.34 MX$318

-14.72%

Cinema Ticket

$3.56 MX$61.7

$4.95 MX$85.7

-28.08%

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

$289 MX$5,015

$198 MX$3,438

45.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,690 MX$81.3K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

-11.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.87 MX$743

$35.95 MX$623

19.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.02 MX$555

$40.06 MX$694

-20.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.3 MX$1,079

$78.8 MX$1,365

-20.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.7 MX$1,087

$86.5 MX$1,499

-27.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$499 MX$8,655

$977 MX$16.9K

-48.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 MX$6,910

$471 MX$8,158

-15.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 MX$16.3K

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-41.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 MX$13.4K

$1,215 MX$21.1K

-36.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,012 MX$34.9K

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-50.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,283 MX$22.2K

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-80.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$714 MX$12.4K

71.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.42

0.70%

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

Last update for Ciudad Obregon: April 22, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $499 in Ciudad Obregon and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34 in Ciudad Obregon vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $252 per month, with Ciudad Obregon 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 21% 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.

Ciudad Obregon pays 71% more on average, 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: $499 in Ciudad Obregon versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $289 in Ciudad Obregon 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 Ciudad Obregon – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,041 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,261 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 $1,041 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 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.