Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Mochis and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Mochis and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,167 per month in Los Mochis vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,852 per month in Los Mochis vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,538 per month in Los Mochis vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Los Mochis is about 10% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Los Mochis and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Los Mochis 15% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.18 MX$122

$11.71 MX$199

-38.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.80 MX$591

$46.59 MX$792

-25.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 MX$198

$11.65 MX$198

-0.26%

Cappuccino

$3.47 MX$59.0

$4.09 MX$69.6

-15.16%

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

$1.17 MX$19.81

$1.37 MX$23.35

-14.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.36

$0.83 MX$14.17

30.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 MX$48.90

$3.35 MX$57.0

-14.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$62.8

$6.91 MX$117

-46.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$30.79

$1.73 MX$29.35

4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$44.53

$2.26 MX$38.41

15.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.60

$1.77 MX$30.07

-11.30%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$43.29

$2.73 MX$46.43

-6.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 MX$135

$9.18 MX$156

-13.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$140

$8.92 MX$152

-7.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 MX$223

$12.60 MX$214

4.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 MX$43.09

$3.02 MX$51.3

-15.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$25.75

$1.57 MX$26.69

-3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 MX$33.51

$2.13 MX$36.12

-7.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.40

$2.26 MX$38.48

-10.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 MX$38.85

$2.00 MX$34.05

14.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 MX$30.77

$2.06 MX$35.08

-12.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.07

$1.18 MX$20.05

29.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$19.96

$1.20 MX$20.46

-2.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MX$75.7

$4.63 MX$78.8

-3.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 MX$195

$10.69 MX$182

7.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$34.10

$1.62 MX$27.52

24.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MX$59.9

$2.88 MX$48.96

22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MX$12.45

$0.57 MX$9.74

28.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 MX$46.76

$5.45 MX$92.6

-49.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 MX$35.33

$3.70 MX$63.0

-43.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.72 MX$199

$5.98 MX$102

95.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$26.85

$1.55 MX$26.40

1.94%

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

$22.5K MX$382.1K

$22.3K MX$379.4K

0.70%

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

$26.0K MX$442.5K

$25.9K MX$441.0K

0.34%

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

$58.0 MX$986

$89.1 MX$1,515

-34.90%

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

$24.07 MX$409

$25.04 MX$426

-3.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.10 MX$545

$31.50 MX$535

1.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.52 MX$621

$67.8 MX$1,152

-46.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.24 MX$361

$28.92 MX$491

-26.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 MX$95.3

$5.05 MX$85.8

11.09%

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

$253 MX$4,294

$225 MX$3,823

12.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,876 MX$82.9K

$4,222 MX$71.8K

15.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 MX$1,016

$47.44 MX$806

25.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.37 MX$771

$44.98 MX$764

0.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,836

$82.0 MX$1,393

31.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 MX$1,559

$92.1 MX$1,565

-0.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 MX$11.3K

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-38.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$413 MX$7,010

$405 MX$6,888

1.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.3K

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-41.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 MX$13.8K

$1,301 MX$22.1K

-37.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,157 MX$36.7K

$3,995 MX$67.9K

-46.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,420 MX$24.1K

$6,626 MX$112.6K

-78.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$708 MX$12.0K

$749 MX$12.7K

-5.49%

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 Los Mochis: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $663 in Los Mochis versus $1,069 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.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Los Mochis versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $277 – making Los Mochis 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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 11% more than Los Mochis, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,751 per month in Los Mochis and $1,940 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 Los Mochis, 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 $35.00 in Los Mochis and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Los Mochis, where all-in costs run around $1,167, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Los Mochis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Los Mochis costs $1,167 versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Los Mochis. 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.