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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $793 in Atibaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,426 in Atibaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,059 in Atibaia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 63% more expensive than in Atibaia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Atibaia 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$7.68 R$39.18

52.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$30.94 R$158

50.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$6.59 R$33.59

76.78%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$2.18 R$11.14

87.61%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.34 R$6.82

2.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.87 R$4.42

-4.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.98 R$10.12

69.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.91 R$14.83

137.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.06 R$5.43

63.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.86 R$9.49

21.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$1.30 R$6.65

36.15%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$2.40 R$12.24

13.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$10.33 R$52.7

-11.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.79 R$24.41

86.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$9.61 R$49.02

31.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.09 R$10.63

44.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.26 R$6.45

24.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$1.15 R$5.84

85.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$1.50 R$7.67

50.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$1.15 R$5.84

73.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$1.28 R$6.52

60.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.92 R$4.72

28.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.79 R$4.02

51.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$2.35 R$11.98

97.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$7.60 R$38.74

40.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.35 R$6.88

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$1.93 R$9.82

49.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.99 R$5.06

-42.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$1.46 R$7.42

273.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.58 R$8.03

134.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$17.49 R$89.2

-65.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.25 R$6.39

24.00%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$19.8K R$100.9K

12.84%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$30.7K R$156.7K

-15.56%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$78.6 R$401

13.44%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$12.01 R$61.2

108.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$21.29 R$109

47.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$22.92 R$117

195.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$19.30 R$98.4

49.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$8.48 R$43.24

-40.45%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$275 R$1,403

-18.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$9,766 R$49.8K

-56.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$53.6 R$273

-11.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$35.65 R$182

26.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$72.7 R$371

12.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$57.2 R$292

61.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$284 R$1,448

276.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$194 R$987

109.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$955 R$4,871

102.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$677 R$3,455

92.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$1,935 R$9,868

106.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,628 R$8,301

307.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$487 R$2,482

53.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

12.79

-10.48%

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 Atibaia: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $284 in Atibaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 54% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Atibaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $203 per month, with Atibaia 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 Atibaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Atibaia differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $793 including rent). Atibaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 54% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $284 in Atibaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 in Atibaia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Atibaia – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $793 in Atibaia versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Atibaia but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Atibaia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Atibaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.