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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,143 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,849 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,556 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 11% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Aguascalientes 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$13.34 MX$230

-13.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$47.33 MX$816

-0.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.74 MX$134

53.49%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.90 MX$67.3

2.05%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.78 MX$30.77

-19.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.31 MX$22.55

-37.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.35 MX$40.57

35.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.45 MX$59.5

96.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.60 MX$27.65

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.29 MX$39.52

-3.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.59 MX$27.36

7.55%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.68 MX$46.13

2.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.59 MX$148

11.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$9.00 MX$155

0.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$12.23 MX$211

4.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.40 MX$41.46

20.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.36 MX$23.42

10.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.62 MX$27.99

32.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.87 MX$32.19

20.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.71 MX$29.52

15.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.47 MX$25.38

35.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.07 MX$18.43

14.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.94 MX$16.13

27.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.81 MX$82.9

-5.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.50 MX$164

9.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.93 MX$33.21

-16.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$3.75 MX$64.6

-23.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.66 MX$11.42

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$25.94 MX$447

11.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.35 MX$23.25

299.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.23 MX$21.21

203.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$11.52 MX$199

-49.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.53 MX$26.34

0.65%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$22.4K MX$386.9K

0.48%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$26.1K MX$450.2K

-0.20%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$59.2 MX$1,020

54.44%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$25.96 MX$448

-2.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$26.07 MX$450

19.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$33.61 MX$579

99.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$23.51 MX$405

23.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.50 MX$94.8

-11.64%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$229 MX$3,940

-2.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$3,124 MX$53.9K

35.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$58.2 MX$1,003

-19.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$41.17 MX$710

7.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$108 MX$1,858

-25.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$76.4 MX$1,317

21.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$544 MX$9,375

95.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$369 MX$6,354

5.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$854 MX$14.7K

151.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$695 MX$12.0K

83.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,227 MX$21.1K

226.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,266 MX$21.8K

413.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$914 MX$15.8K

-17.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.2

2.23%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $544 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $47.00 in Aguascalientes. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $259, with Aguascalientes cheaper for home cooking.

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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Aguascalientes. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $544 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 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $229 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,143 in Aguascalientes versus $1,266 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 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.