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: $880 in Pachuca versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,451 in Pachuca versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,021 in Pachuca versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Pachuca costs roughly 30% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pachuca 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.78 MX$83.8

$11.99 MX$210

-60.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.88 MX$436

$41.78 MX$733

-40.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 MX$140

$10.75 MX$189

-25.67%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MX$52.5

$3.50 MX$61.3

-14.57%

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

$1.08 MX$18.93

$1.45 MX$25.41

-25.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$13.98

$0.88 MX$15.52

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 MX$28.53

$2.95 MX$51.7

-44.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$55.1

$4.51 MX$79.1

-30.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.08

$1.43 MX$25.12

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 MX$49.23

$1.84 MX$32.23

52.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.36

$1.57 MX$27.51

17.83%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$44.21

$2.51 MX$44.06

0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.27 MX$128

$8.28 MX$145

-12.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 MX$78.5

$8.43 MX$148

-46.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 MX$130

$10.68 MX$187

-30.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.28

$2.61 MX$45.76

-25.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 MX$22.92

$1.44 MX$25.22

-9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.72

$1.96 MX$34.41

-28.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MX$28.46

$2.09 MX$36.74

-22.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.68

$1.85 MX$32.47

-21.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 MX$22.03

$2.17 MX$38.02

-41.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 MX$15.01

$1.03 MX$18.09

-16.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.71

$1.07 MX$18.84

-11.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$73.0

$4.10 MX$72.0

1.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 MX$154

$10.17 MX$178

-13.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$22.85

$1.68 MX$29.38

-22.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 MX$42.82

$2.53 MX$44.31

-3.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MX$10.20

$0.51 MX$8.93

13.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.71 MX$469

$26.04 MX$457

2.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 MX$42.86

$3.23 MX$56.7

-24.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MX$21.80

$2.41 MX$42.19

-48.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.03 MX$141

$3.23 MX$56.6

148.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.78

$1.32 MX$23.17

-1.52%

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

$18.1K MX$318.2K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-38.92%

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

$21.2K MX$371.3K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

-10.55%

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

$51.5 MX$902

$82.0 MX$1,439

-37.26%

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

$17.12 MX$300

$22.95 MX$403

-25.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.16 MX$406

$30.11 MX$528

-23.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.61 MX$397

$52.0 MX$912

-56.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.51 MX$184

$18.53 MX$325

-43.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 MX$80.7

$4.98 MX$87.3

-7.63%

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

$156 MX$2,742

$197 MX$3,463

-20.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,064 MX$53.8K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-42.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 MX$923

$35.60 MX$624

47.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 MX$698

$40.33 MX$707

-1.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 MX$1,629

$78.8 MX$1,381

17.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 MX$1,317

$88.9 MX$1,560

-15.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,863

$947 MX$16.6K

-58.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 MX$4,496

$474 MX$8,314

-45.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 MX$12.9K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-55.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$11.6K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-45.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$758 MX$13.3K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-81.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$674 MX$11.8K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-89.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$671 MX$11.8K

$654 MX$11.5K

2.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

11.42

-5.87%

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

Last update for Pachuca: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $391 in Pachuca and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pachuca pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Pachuca vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $249 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Pachuca, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $391 in Pachuca versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $156 in Pachuca versus $197 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 19% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $880 in Pachuca versus $1,256 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 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.