Cost of Living Comparison Between Oaxaca de Juarez and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Oaxaca de Juarez and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,902 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,590 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Oaxaca de Juarez costs roughly 6% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Oaxaca de Juarez 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.97 MX$118

$11.71 MX$199

-40.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.78 MX$608

$46.59 MX$791

-23.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 MX$154

$11.65 MX$198

-22.40%

Cappuccino

$2.92 MX$49.56

$4.09 MX$69.5

-28.61%

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

$1.59 MX$26.95

$1.37 MX$23.34

16.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.47

$0.83 MX$14.16

9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$45.32

$3.35 MX$56.9

-20.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$71.7

$6.91 MX$117

-38.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$25.53

$1.73 MX$29.33

-13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.1

$2.26 MX$38.39

43.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 MX$20.54

$1.77 MX$30.05

-31.64%

Eggs

$1.79 MX$30.36

$2.73 MX$46.41

-34.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.97 MX$118

$9.18 MX$156

-24.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 MX$101

$8.92 MX$151

-32.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 MX$203

$12.60 MX$214

-5.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 MX$40.39

$3.02 MX$51.3

-21.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 MX$22.10

$1.57 MX$26.68

-17.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.37

$2.13 MX$36.10

-2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 MX$10.30

$2.26 MX$38.46

-73.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 MX$38.20

$2.00 MX$34.04

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$36.86

$2.06 MX$35.06

5.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MX$19.81

$1.18 MX$20.04

-0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.70

$1.20 MX$20.45

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.63 MX$78.7

-0.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 MX$172

$10.69 MX$182

-5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$26.55

$1.62 MX$27.50

-3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$46.21

$2.88 MX$48.93

-5.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.72

$0.57 MX$9.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 MX$71.2

$5.45 MX$92.5

-23.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 MX$35.75

$3.70 MX$62.9

-42.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.55 MX$196

$5.98 MX$102

93.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.70

$1.55 MX$26.38

-6.45%

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

$23.0K MX$390.3K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

2.92%

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

$26.3K MX$447.3K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

1.51%

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

$64.6 MX$1,097

$89.1 MX$1,514

-27.53%

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

$11.58 MX$197

$25.04 MX$425

-53.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.13 MX$444

$31.50 MX$535

-17.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.72 MX$810

$67.8 MX$1,151

-29.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$99.5

$5.05 MX$85.8

16.04%

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

$450 MX$7,648

$225 MX$3,820

100.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K MX$361.5K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

404.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.60 MX$842

$47.44 MX$806

4.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.1 MX$1,139

$44.98 MX$764

49.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,827

$82.0 MX$1,392

31.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 MX$1,766

$92.1 MX$1,564

12.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 MX$12.9K

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-28.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 MX$8,771

$405 MX$6,884

27.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 MX$21.7K

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-33.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 MX$16.2K

$1,301 MX$22.1K

-26.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.96

11.45

-4.28%

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

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $761 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $277 per month, with Oaxaca de Juarez 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

Oaxaca de Juarez vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oaxaca de Juarez wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oaxaca de Juarez the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,823 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $1,940 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: $761 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,215 per month in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,215 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oaxaca de Juarez but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Oaxaca de Juarez the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oaxaca de Juarez delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,215 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oaxaca de Juarez hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.