Cost of Living Comparison Between Pachuca and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Pachuca and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $958 in Pachuca versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,613 in Pachuca versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,267 in Pachuca versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Pachuca costs roughly 26% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pachuca 30% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.32 MX$90.3

$11.71 MX$199

-54.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.72 MX$471

$46.59 MX$791

-40.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 MX$147

$11.65 MX$198

-25.67%

Cappuccino

$3.16 MX$53.7

$4.09 MX$69.5

-22.74%

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

$1.25 MX$21.27

$1.37 MX$23.34

-8.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$14.33

$0.83 MX$14.16

1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 MX$30.66

$3.35 MX$56.9

-45.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$60.6

$6.91 MX$117

-48.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.29

$1.73 MX$29.33

-3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 MX$47.21

$2.26 MX$38.39

23.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.77

$1.77 MX$30.05

12.43%

Eggs

$2.78 MX$47.29

$2.73 MX$46.41

1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 MX$127

$9.18 MX$156

-18.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 MX$83.8

$8.92 MX$151

-44.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.13 MX$138

$12.60 MX$214

-35.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 MX$38.12

$3.02 MX$51.3

-25.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$23.63

$1.57 MX$26.68

-11.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.00

$2.13 MX$36.10

-25.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.09

$2.26 MX$38.46

-24.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.14

$2.00 MX$34.04

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.36

$2.06 MX$35.06

-30.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 MX$15.83

$1.18 MX$20.04

-21.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.21

$1.20 MX$20.45

-15.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.66 MX$79.1

$4.63 MX$78.7

0.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 MX$146

$10.69 MX$182

-19.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 MX$24.50

$1.62 MX$27.50

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 MX$45.62

$2.88 MX$48.93

-6.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.33

$0.57 MX$9.74

7.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.90 MX$508

$29.83 MX$507

0.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 MX$46.01

$5.45 MX$92.5

-50.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.58 MX$60.8

$3.70 MX$62.9

-3.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.79 MX$200

$5.98 MX$102

97.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$24.42

$1.55 MX$26.38

-7.10%

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

$23.5K MX$399.0K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

5.22%

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

$26.0K MX$441.8K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

0.25%

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

$45.13 MX$767

$89.1 MX$1,514

-49.37%

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

$17.41 MX$296

$25.04 MX$425

-30.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.17 MX$411

$31.50 MX$535

-23.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.36 MX$431

$67.8 MX$1,151

-62.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 MX$199

$28.92 MX$491

-59.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.66 MX$79.2

$5.05 MX$85.8

-7.72%

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

$174 MX$2,949

$225 MX$3,820

-22.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,800 MX$47.6K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

-33.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 MX$985

$47.44 MX$806

22.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.87 MX$745

$44.98 MX$764

-2.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,765

$82.0 MX$1,392

26.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 MX$1,401

$92.1 MX$1,564

-10.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 MX$7,262

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-60.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 MX$4,940

$405 MX$6,884

-28.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$651 MX$11.1K

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-66.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$734 MX$12.5K

$1,301 MX$22.1K

-43.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$810 MX$13.7K

$3,995 MX$67.9K

-79.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$698 MX$11.9K

$6,626 MX$112.5K

-89.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$717 MX$12.2K

$749 MX$12.7K

-4.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

11.45

-5.68%

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

Last update for Pachuca: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Pachuca and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 4% 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: $28.00 in Pachuca vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $277 per month, with Pachuca 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

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

Pachuca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $428 in Pachuca versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $174 in Pachuca versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $958 in Pachuca versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pachuca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Pachuca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pachuca 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, Pachuca 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 Pachuca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.