Cost of Living Comparison Between Lazaro Cardenas and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lazaro Cardenas and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,771 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,422 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lazaro Cardenas costs roughly 11% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lazaro Cardenas 16% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.42 MX$181

$11.67 MX$202

-10.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.63 MX$669

$41.88 MX$726

-7.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 MX$139

$10.40 MX$180

-22.79%

Cappuccino

$3.39 MX$58.8

$3.61 MX$62.6

-6.09%

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

$1.28 MX$22.24

$1.47 MX$25.45

-12.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.91 MX$15.80

6.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 MX$40.59

$3.03 MX$52.6

-22.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 MX$66.9

$4.47 MX$77.4

-13.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$24.99

$1.38 MX$23.83

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 MX$44.24

$1.84 MX$31.93

38.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.16

$1.61 MX$27.82

1.24%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$41.14

$2.57 MX$44.52

-7.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 MX$138

$8.49 MX$147

-6.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 MX$134

$8.49 MX$147

-8.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 MX$181

$10.99 MX$190

-5.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 MX$46.25

$2.73 MX$47.25

-2.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.82

$1.50 MX$25.92

-4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.86

$1.96 MX$33.93

-12.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.83

$2.12 MX$36.70

-24.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.12

$1.86 MX$32.30

-0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.70

$2.17 MX$37.67

-7.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.71

$1.07 MX$18.59

16.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.61

$1.05 MX$18.18

-2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.9

$4.19 MX$72.6

-0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 MX$188

$10.28 MX$178

5.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 MX$26.88

$1.67 MX$28.87

-7.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MX$48.99

$2.49 MX$43.12

13.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.43

$0.54 MX$9.37

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MX$45.54

$3.10 MX$53.8

-15.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.62

$2.46 MX$42.66

-35.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.44 MX$146

$3.24 MX$56.1

160.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$22.98

$1.26 MX$21.83

5.56%

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

$21.2K MX$366.9K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

-29.81%

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

$22.9K MX$396.5K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

-2.40%

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

$55.5 MX$963

$84.0 MX$1,456

-33.87%

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

$21.88 MX$379

$22.21 MX$385

-1.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.23 MX$489

$29.65 MX$514

-4.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.42 MX$614

$52.6 MX$912

-32.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.85 MX$275

$18.34 MX$318

-13.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 MX$80.5

$4.95 MX$85.7

-6.26%

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

$210 MX$3,646

$198 MX$3,438

6.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,606 MX$62.5K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

-32.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 MX$928

$35.95 MX$623

48.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.20 MX$679

$40.06 MX$694

-2.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 MX$1,539

$78.8 MX$1,365

12.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 MX$1,366

$86.5 MX$1,499

-8.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 MX$8,966

$977 MX$16.9K

-47.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,820

$471 MX$8,158

-16.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$16.4K

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-40.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 MX$13.0K

$1,215 MX$21.1K

-38.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,037 MX$35.3K

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-49.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,271 MX$22.0K

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-80.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$581 MX$10.1K

$714 MX$12.4K

-18.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.42

0.53%

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

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: April 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Lazaro Cardenas and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $39 in Lazaro Cardenas vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $252 per month, with Lazaro Cardenas 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

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

Lazaro Cardenas wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lazaro Cardenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 23% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $517 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $210 in Lazaro Cardenas 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 Lazaro Cardenas – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,121 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lazaro Cardenas but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lazaro Cardenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lazaro Cardenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,121 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lazaro Cardenas hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lazaro Cardenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.