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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $743 in Atibaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,330 in Atibaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,916 in Atibaia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 74% more expensive than Atibaia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Atibaia 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$5.47 R$27.37

114.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$27.39 R$137

51.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.69 R$28.48

86.99%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.00 R$10.01

76.00%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.24 R$6.20

21.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.81 R$4.06

19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.85 R$9.24

59.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.67 R$13.38

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.05 R$5.24

31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.54 R$7.72

22.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.38 R$6.89

18.84%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.86 R$14.29

-12.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$10.03 R$50.2

-16.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.20 R$21.04

98.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.83 R$44.17

21.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.68 R$8.42

54.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.20 R$5.99

21.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.10 R$5.51

72.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.47 R$7.38

41.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.06 R$5.32

67.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.14 R$5.71

92.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.94 R$4.72

10.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.69 R$3.47

56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.17 R$10.87

88.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.94 R$39.71

29.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.37 R$6.88

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.13 R$10.67

21.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.86 R$4.30

-40.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$39.21 R$196

-32.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.23 R$6.14

165.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.02 R$5.12

144.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.31 R$31.57

-48.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.07 R$5.36

22.43%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$16.2K R$81.3K

86.40%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$26.9K R$134.7K

-12.95%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$73.1 R$366

13.30%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$11.74 R$58.7

89.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$20.82 R$104

40.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$21.51 R$108

140.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$17.76 R$88.9

3.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$7.56 R$37.82

-32.94%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$288 R$1,439

-30.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$7,891 R$39.5K

-33.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$45.56 R$228

-18.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$33.80 R$169

17.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$68.2 R$341

15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$41.84 R$209

108.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$275 R$1,374

254.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$180 R$899

160.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$901 R$4,510

82.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$624 R$3,123

95.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,992 R$9,970

98.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,656 R$8,286

292.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.8

16.53%

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 Atibaia: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $275 in Atibaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Atibaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $192 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 74% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $743 including rent). Atibaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,115 in Atibaia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 in Atibaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Atibaia – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $743 in Atibaia versus $1,297 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 74% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.