Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuautitlan Izcalli and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuautitlan Izcalli and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,027 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,627 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,227 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cuautitlan Izcalli costs roughly 21% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuautitlan Izcalli 23% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.47 MX$181

$11.73 MX$203

-10.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.34 MX$438

$41.62 MX$720

-39.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 MX$138

$10.64 MX$184

-25.28%

Cappuccino

$3.11 MX$53.8

$3.52 MX$60.9

-11.65%

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

$1.63 MX$28.16

$1.51 MX$26.12

7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.24

$0.97 MX$16.84

14.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$40.76

$2.95 MX$51.0

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 MX$84.5

$4.45 MX$77.0

9.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 MX$28.11

$1.38 MX$23.93

18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 MX$45.23

$1.89 MX$32.72

38.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MX$23.07

$1.64 MX$28.32

-18.90%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.39

$2.51 MX$43.34

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.62 MX$45.32

$8.34 MX$144

-68.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 MX$85.9

$8.34 MX$144

-40.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.02 MX$122

$10.73 MX$186

-34.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.79

$2.60 MX$45.04

-9.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.69

$1.46 MX$25.20

2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 MX$22.22

$1.90 MX$32.87

-32.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.78

$2.08 MX$35.91

-0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.03

$1.78 MX$30.71

20.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 MX$38.29

$2.19 MX$37.80

0.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.21

$1.04 MX$17.99

40.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.54

$1.08 MX$18.62

-0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.5

$4.08 MX$70.6

4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.27 MX$178

$10.32 MX$178

-0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 MX$26.79

$1.71 MX$29.61

-9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$2.58 MX$44.54

40.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.27

$0.51 MX$8.81

50.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 MX$13.85

$3.26 MX$56.4

-75.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.25

$2.49 MX$43.09

-87.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 MX$89.3

$3.25 MX$56.2

58.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 MX$21.15

$1.31 MX$22.61

-6.87%

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

$19.3K MX$334.1K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-36.21%

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

$23.3K MX$402.7K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-0.63%

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

$40.96 MX$708

$82.9 MX$1,433

-50.57%

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

$27.28 MX$472

$22.22 MX$384

22.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.71 MX$324

$29.34 MX$507

-36.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.50 MX$631

$51.6 MX$893

-29.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.85 MX$274

$18.32 MX$317

-13.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 MX$72.7

$5.07 MX$87.6

-17.16%

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

$426 MX$7,365

$201 MX$3,473

112.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,647 MX$63.1K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-30.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 MX$921

$36.92 MX$639

44.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.86 MX$447

$39.79 MX$688

-35.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,776

$78.5 MX$1,357

30.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 MX$914

$87.1 MX$1,506

-39.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 MX$8,913

$973 MX$16.8K

-47.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 MX$6,961

$468 MX$8,090

-13.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.4K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-42.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 MX$13.1K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-38.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,160 MX$37.4K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-45.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 MX$20.1K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-82.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.42

-0.70%

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

Last update for Cuautitlan Izcalli: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Cuautitlan Izcalli and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25.00 in Cuautitlan Izcalli vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $249 per month, with Cuautitlan Izcalli 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

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

Cuautitlan Izcalli is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,541 in Cuautitlan Izcalli and $1,945 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: $515 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $426 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $201 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 Cuautitlan Izcalli – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,027 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuautitlan Izcalli but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cuautitlan Izcalli the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuautitlan Izcalli is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cuautitlan Izcalli 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 Cuautitlan Izcalli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.