Cost of Living Comparison Between Coatzacoalcos and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Coatzacoalcos and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,229 per month in Coatzacoalcos vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,963 per month in Coatzacoalcos vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,696 per month in Coatzacoalcos vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Coatzacoalcos is about 3% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Coatzacoalcos and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Coatzacoalcos 10% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.03 MX$189

$11.60 MX$199

-4.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$47.11 MX$809

11.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 MX$153

$11.88 MX$204

-24.83%

Cappuccino

$3.60 MX$61.7

$3.98 MX$68.2

-9.55%

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

$1.39 MX$23.90

$1.43 MX$24.49

-2.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$16.47

$0.82 MX$14.16

17.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 MX$51.5

$3.19 MX$54.7

-5.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 MX$81.1

$6.79 MX$117

-30.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.63

$1.68 MX$28.76

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 MX$46.86

$2.20 MX$37.71

24.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.69

$1.71 MX$29.32

8.19%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.84

$2.74 MX$47.05

-2.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 MX$148

$9.58 MX$164

-9.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.23 MX$176

$9.01 MX$155

13.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.68 MX$218

$12.81 MX$220

-1.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 MX$57.2

$2.89 MX$49.58

15.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MX$28.68

$1.50 MX$25.70

11.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MX$40.21

$2.15 MX$36.87

8.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.47

$2.26 MX$38.79

-23.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$37.89

$1.98 MX$34.00

11.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.54

$1.99 MX$34.15

7.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.86

$1.23 MX$21.18

13.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.76

$1.20 MX$20.54

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 MX$88.3

$4.55 MX$78.1

12.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 MX$182

$10.37 MX$178

2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 MX$34.94

$1.62 MX$27.79

25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 MX$51.1

$2.88 MX$49.44

3.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MX$12.57

$0.60 MX$10.30

21.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 MX$46.78

$5.39 MX$92.5

-49.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MX$33.18

$3.73 MX$64.0

-48.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.64 MX$200

$5.77 MX$99.0

101.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.88

$1.54 MX$26.37

9.09%

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

$24.8K MX$425.5K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

9.93%

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

$26.1K MX$448.3K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

0.23%

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

$56.7 MX$973

$91.4 MX$1,569

-38.00%

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

$26.86 MX$461

$25.20 MX$433

6.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.17 MX$501

$31.24 MX$536

-6.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.35 MX$538

$67.2 MX$1,154

-53.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.55 MX$318

$29.11 MX$500

-36.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 MX$84.3

$4.86 MX$83.5

1.03%

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

$231 MX$3,957

$224 MX$3,839

3.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$90.5K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

24.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 MX$1,089

$47.10 MX$808

34.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 MX$863

$44.29 MX$760

13.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,855

$80.1 MX$1,375

34.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 MX$1,360

$92.7 MX$1,591

-14.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MX$11.0K

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-39.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 MX$7,392

$390 MX$6,698

10.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 MX$18.1K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-50.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$831 MX$14.3K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-34.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,944 MX$33.4K

$4,001 MX$68.7K

-51.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,193 MX$20.5K

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-81.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

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 Coatzacoalcos: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $641 in Coatzacoalcos versus $1,063 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Coatzacoalcos versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $276 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 3%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,843 per month in Coatzacoalcos and $1,899 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 Coatzacoalcos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Coatzacoalcos and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Coatzacoalcos, where all-in costs run around $1,229, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Coatzacoalcos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Coatzacoalcos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Coatzacoalcos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.