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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $745 in Atibaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,307 in Atibaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,869 in Atibaia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 69% more expensive than in Atibaia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Atibaia 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$5.53 R$28.24

116.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$27.54 R$141

51.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$5.67 R$29.00

89.59%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$1.97 R$10.08

77.66%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.20 R$6.13

20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.83 R$4.23

6.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$1.82 R$9.28

62.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$2.64 R$13.50

70.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.06 R$5.40

34.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.61 R$8.23

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.35 R$6.90

16.30%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.83 R$14.47

-11.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$9.95 R$50.9

-16.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$4.18 R$21.36

101.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$8.87 R$45.35

20.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.69 R$8.61

54.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.21 R$6.18

19.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.09 R$5.59

79.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.40 R$7.16

49.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.09 R$5.58

69.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.19 R$6.10

82.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.94 R$4.80

9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.74 R$3.81

44.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$2.10 R$10.75

95.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$7.47 R$38.20

36.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.40 R$7.18

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.04 R$10.43

24.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.88 R$4.50

-42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$38.35 R$196

-32.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$1.28 R$6.54

152.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.07 R$5.45

125.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$6.48 R$33.13

-50.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.09 R$5.55

21.10%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$16.2K R$83.0K

82.81%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$27.5K R$140.7K

-14.04%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$73.5 R$376

11.59%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$11.82 R$60.4

94.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$20.70 R$106

45.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$21.65 R$111

140.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$17.78 R$90.9

4.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$7.81 R$39.89

-36.24%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$287 R$1,466

-31.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$8,033 R$41.1K

-33.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$46.47 R$237

-23.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$34.60 R$177

16.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$68.3 R$349

15.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$41.37 R$211

114.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$273 R$1,397

246.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$181 R$927

161.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$918 R$4,690

79.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$618 R$3,160

95.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$1,915 R$9,789

111.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$1,675 R$8,561

286.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$490 R$2,505

33.38%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Atibaia: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $273 in Atibaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 33% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 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 69% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $745 including rent). Atibaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $273 in Atibaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% 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 $28.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $745 in Atibaia versus $1,256 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 69% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.