Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuautitlan Izcalli and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuautitlan Izcalli: $1,069 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Cuautitlan Izcalli
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,069
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,069 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Cuautitlan Izcalli $1,069
  • Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,673 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Cuautitlan Izcalli $1,673
  • Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,276 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Cuautitlan Izcalli $2,276
  • Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Cuautitlan Izcalli costs roughly 12% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuautitlan Izcalli 21% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cuautitlan Izcalli
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.87 MX$201
$10.76 MX$199
1.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.47 MX$489
$43.03 MX$795
-38.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.24 MX$152
$11.79 MX$218
-30.11%
Cappuccino
$3.38 MX$62.5
$3.87 MX$71.4
-12.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 MX$29.49
$1.37 MX$25.29
16.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.00
$0.84 MX$15.44
54.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.43 MX$44.82
$3.10 MX$57.3
-21.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.86 MX$89.9
$5.07 MX$93.6
-4.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cuautitlan Izcalli
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 MX$30.71
$1.44 MX$26.55
15.28%
White Bread (500g)
$2.70 MX$49.86
$2.23 MX$41.23
21.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 MX$24.74
$1.47 MX$27.17
-8.84%
Eggs
$2.85 MX$52.6
$2.53 MX$46.71
12.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.71 MX$50.1
$7.30 MX$135
-62.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.27 MX$97.4
$7.86 MX$145
-32.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.29 MX$135
$12.79 MX$236
-43.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.50 MX$46.13
$2.90 MX$53.6
-13.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 MX$29.04
$1.44 MX$26.53
9.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.39 MX$25.77
$2.55 MX$47.07
-45.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.23 MX$41.23
$2.06 MX$38.03
8.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 MX$36.10
$2.00 MX$36.97
-2.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.81 MX$33.47
$2.01 MX$37.07
-9.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.10
$1.19 MX$22.02
27.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 MX$19.92
$1.26 MX$23.23
-14.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 MX$76.6
$4.40 MX$81.4
-5.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 MX$185
$9.59 MX$177
4.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 MX$30.25
$1.59 MX$29.41
3.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 MX$81.7
$2.81 MX$51.9
57.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Cuautitlan Izcalli
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.77 MX$14.19
$0.57 MX$10.47
35.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.82 MX$514
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.84 MX$15.47
$4.98 MX$92.1
-83.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.58 MX$10.63
$3.50 MX$64.6
-83.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.64 MX$104
$5.40 MX$99.8
4.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.38 MX$25.44
$1.47 MX$27.08
-6.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K MX$397.5K
$21.0K MX$387.8K
2.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$453.4K
$23.9K MX$441.8K
2.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuautitlan Izcalli
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.1 MX$1,148
$84.2 MX$1,556
-26.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.21 MX$521
$23.99 MX$443
17.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.08 MX$353
$29.02 MX$536
-34.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cuautitlan Izcalli
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.66 MX$622
$63.0 MX$1,164
-46.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.06 MX$352
$29.14 MX$539
-34.59%
Cinema Ticket
$4.44 MX$82.0
$4.94 MX$91.3
-10.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cuautitlan Izcalli
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$430 MX$7,943
$204 MX$3,763
111.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,547 MX$84.0K
$3,941 MX$72.8K
15.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cuautitlan Izcalli
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.6 MX$1,010
$43.60 MX$806
25.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.84 MX$496
$43.12 MX$797
-37.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$1,997
$75.8 MX$1,400
42.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$53.9 MX$996
$88.6 MX$1,637
-39.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cuautitlan Izcalli
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$611 MX$11.3K
$1,008 MX$18.6K
-39.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$395 MX$7,291
$374 MX$6,911
5.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 MX$19.5K
$1,708 MX$31.6K
-38.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$768 MX$14.2K
$1,106 MX$20.4K
-30.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,929 MX$35.7K
$3,944 MX$72.9K
-51.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,203 MX$22.2K
$6,169 MX$114.0K
-80.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cuautitlan Izcalli
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$754 MX$13.9K
-
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 Cuautitlan Izcalli: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cuautitlan Izcalli
$395
Playa del Carmen
$374 5.2% $21
Groceries & Markets
Cuautitlan Izcalli
$221
Playa del Carmen
$258 17% $38
Eating Out
Cuautitlan Izcalli
$186
Playa del Carmen
$202 8.9% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Cuautitlan Izcalli
$110
Playa del Carmen
$113 3.1% $3.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuautitlan Izcalli
$109
Playa del Carmen
$137 25.4% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Cuautitlan Izcalli
$43
Playa del Carmen
$73 71.3% $30
Getting Around
Cuautitlan Izcalli
$6.8 *
Playa del Carmen
$53 675% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $611 in Cuautitlan Izcalli and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Cuautitlan Izcalli vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $258 per month, with Cuautitlan Izcalli cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Cuautitlan Izcalli
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
21:03 9:03 PM
22:03 10:03 PM
1 h ahead of Cuautitlan Izcalli
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
484,573
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cuautitlan Izcalli Playa del Carmen 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cuautitlan Izcalli
  • 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
Cuautitlan Izcalli vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Cuautitlan Izcalli?
Cuautitlan Izcalli is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,604 in Cuautitlan Izcalli and $1,816 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.
What is the rent difference between Cuautitlan Izcalli and Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $611 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $430 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $204 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Cuautitlan Izcalli or in Playa del Carmen?
Dining out is cheaper in Cuautitlan Izcalli – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cuautitlan Izcalli or in Playa del Carmen?
At $1,069 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $1,210 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.
Is Cuautitlan Izcalli or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Cuautitlan Izcalli or Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cuautitlan Izcalli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Cuautitlan Izcalli vs other spots: cost of living compared

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