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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $924 in Acapulco, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,533 in Acapulco, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,142 in Acapulco, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 40% more than Acapulco, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Playa del Carmen and Acapulco are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Acapulco 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$199

$10.20 MX$173

14.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$791

$41.76 MX$709

11.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$198

$12.81 MX$218

-9.06%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.5

$4.14 MX$70.3

-1.21%

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

$1.37 MX$23.34

$1.70 MX$28.82

-19.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.16

$1.74 MX$29.51

-52.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.9

$3.20 MX$54.4

4.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$5.39 MX$91.5

28.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.33

$1.70 MX$28.86

1.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.39

$3.19 MX$54.2

-29.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.05

$1.77 MX$30.12

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.41

$1.96 MX$33.31

39.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$7.15 MX$121

28.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$8.78 MX$149

1.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$214

$11.86 MX$201

6.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.3

$4.90 MX$83.1

-38.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.68

$1.78 MX$30.23

-11.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.10

$3.63 MX$61.6

-41.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.46

$3.49 MX$59.3

-35.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.04

$3.66 MX$62.1

-45.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.06

$3.13 MX$53.2

-34.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$20.04

$1.38 MX$23.51

-14.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.45

$0.90 MX$15.34

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.7

$8.67 MX$147

-46.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$182

$7.26 MX$123

47.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.50

$1.16 MX$19.62

39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.93

$2.97 MX$50.4

-3.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.74

$0.99 MX$16.83

-42.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.5

$5.30 MX$90.1

2.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$102

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.57 MX$26.68

-1.27%

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

$22.3K MX$379.2K

$23.1K MX$392.3K

-3.34%

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

$25.9K MX$440.7K

$26.4K MX$449.0K

-1.84%

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

$89.1 MX$1,514

$42.55 MX$723

109.47%

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

$25.04 MX$425

$16.05 MX$273

56.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$535

$23.14 MX$393

36.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,151

$20.29 MX$345

234.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

$14.98 MX$254

93.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.8

$4.06 MX$69.0

24.38%

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

$225 MX$3,820

$180 MX$3,051

25.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$806

$70.2 MX$1,193

-32.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$764

$46.62 MX$792

-3.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,392

$119 MX$2,020

-31.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,564

$87.6 MX$1,487

5.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.2K

$556 MX$9,439

92.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,884

$161 MX$2,736

151.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.9K

$1,050 MX$17.8K

84.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.1K

$348 MX$5,904

274.31%

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

$487 MX$8,267

53.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.6

-1.29%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Acapulco: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $556 in Acapulco. 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 54% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $42.00 in Acapulco. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Playa del Carmen vs $292 in Acapulco – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 40% more than Acapulco, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,386 in Acapulco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Acapulco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $924 in Acapulco. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $180 in Acapulco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Acapulco, where all-in costs run around $924, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Acapulco 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. Acapulco costs $924 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 Acapulco. 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.