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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,025 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,543 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,061 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 26% more expensive than Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Aguascalientes 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$8.12 MX$140

44.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$34.46 MX$596

20.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.07 MX$122

50.50%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.20 MX$55.4

10.00%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.08 MX$18.72

39.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.80 MX$13.84

21.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.80 MX$31.19

63.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.15 MX$54.5

41.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.35 MX$23.28

2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$2.25 MX$38.86

-16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.58 MX$27.28

3.80%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.96 MX$33.85

28.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.97 MX$138

4.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.16 MX$124

16.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.66 MX$167

11.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.26 MX$39.02

15.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.97 MX$16.72

50.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.83 MX$14.36

128.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.42 MX$24.53

46.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.40 MX$24.27

27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.97 MX$16.73

125.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.90 MX$15.50

15.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.83 MX$14.39

30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.14 MX$71.6

-1.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.98 MX$155

14.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.50 MX$25.98

14.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.66 MX$46.08

-3.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.55 MX$9.59

-7.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$22.01 MX$381

20.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.07 MX$18.57

204.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.93 MX$16.15

167.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$3.24 MX$56.0

0.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.24 MX$21.51

5.65%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$22.2K MX$383.5K

36.56%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$23.4K MX$405.2K

0.01%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$44.40 MX$768

86.64%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$20.16 MX$349

10.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$23.39 MX$405

25.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$25.83 MX$447

99.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$21.83 MX$378

-16.08%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.15 MX$71.8

22.17%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$178 MX$3,075

12.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$2,589 MX$44.8K

101.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$51.1 MX$884

-27.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$34.96 MX$605

13.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$85.2 MX$1,474

-7.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$53.7 MX$930

62.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$385 MX$6,663

152.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$384 MX$6,645

21.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$571 MX$9,868

187.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$595 MX$10.3K

105.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,228 MX$21.2K

221.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,241 MX$21.5K

423.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$920 MX$15.9K

-27.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.24

1.60%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $385 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $217 per month, with Aguascalientes 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

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

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Aguascalientes earns 39% less. 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $385 in Aguascalientes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aguascalientes runs roughly 20% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $178 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,025 in Aguascalientes versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Aguascalientes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Aguascalientes 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, Playa del Carmen and Aguascalientes 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 Aguascalientes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.