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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,016 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,537 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,058 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 24% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Aguascalientes 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$8.18 MX$143

46.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$34.16 MX$597

22.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$6.90 MX$121

55.80%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$3.36 MX$58.7

4.17%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$1.11 MX$19.49

30.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$0.82 MX$14.32

7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$1.83 MX$31.99

61.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$3.19 MX$55.7

41.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$1.35 MX$23.55

5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$2.15 MX$37.55

-14.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$1.52 MX$26.60

3.29%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$1.95 MX$34.10

28.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$8.23 MX$144

0.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.43 MX$130

13.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$9.65 MX$169

10.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$2.26 MX$39.60

15.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$0.92 MX$16.08

56.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$0.89 MX$15.52

120.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$1.45 MX$25.40

44.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$1.37 MX$24.03

35.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$0.94 MX$16.52

130.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$0.93 MX$16.19

10.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$0.82 MX$14.27

30.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$4.22 MX$73.7

-2.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$9.37 MX$164

8.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$1.52 MX$26.57

10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$2.70 MX$47.28

-6.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.55 MX$9.67

-7.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

$22.62 MX$396

15.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$1.03 MX$17.99

213.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$0.94 MX$16.45

156.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$3.25 MX$56.9

-0.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$1.24 MX$21.74

6.45%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$21.6K MX$377.5K

37.53%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$23.4K MX$409.7K

0.98%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$44.95 MX$786

82.45%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$20.27 MX$354

13.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$23.48 MX$411

28.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$25.07 MX$438

107.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$21.91 MX$383

-15.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$4.12 MX$72.1

20.87%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$184 MX$3,219

7.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$2,607 MX$45.6K

104.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$53.1 MX$928

-32.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$35.73 MX$625

12.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$84.3 MX$1,473

-6.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$54.9 MX$959

62.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$390 MX$6,824

142.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$378 MX$6,605

25.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$586 MX$10.3K

180.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$585 MX$10.2K

106.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$1,199 MX$21.0K

238.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$1,227 MX$21.5K

427.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$907 MX$15.9K

-27.92%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $390 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 $219 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 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 39% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $390 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 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $184 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,016 in Aguascalientes versus $1,256 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 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.