😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,154 in Atotonilco el Alto.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,860 in Atotonilco el Alto.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,565 in Atotonilco el Alto.
😐Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 11% more expensive than Atotonilco el Alto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen4% lower, Atotonilco el Alto14% lower.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Atotonilco el Alto
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.94MX$208
$9.66MX$168
23.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.75MX$744
$47.10MX$819
-9.24%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.59MX$184
$7.87MX$137
34.56%
Cappuccino
$3.62MX$63.0
$3.53MX$61.5
2.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47MX$25.54
$1.30MX$22.60
13.08%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94MX$16.41
$0.95MX$16.56
-1.05%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.09MX$53.8
$2.41MX$41.94
28.22%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46MX$77.6
$4.28MX$74.4
4.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Atotonilco el Alto
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.43MX$24.80
$1.54MX$26.74
-7.14%
White Bread(500g)
$1.88MX$32.79
$2.65MX$46.15
-29.06%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.63MX$28.34
$1.96MX$34.18
-16.84%
Eggs
$2.64MX$45.99
$2.31MX$40.14
14.29%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.21MX$143
$8.04MX$140
2.11%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.29MX$144
$9.84MX$171
-15.75%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.10MX$193
$12.88MX$224
-13.82%
Apples(1kg)
$2.65MX$46.14
$3.55MX$61.7
-25.35%
Banana(1kg)
$1.50MX$26.11
$1.53MX$26.69
-1.96%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.99MX$34.59
$1.85MX$32.12
7.57%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.08MX$36.13
$1.71MX$29.69
21.64%
Potato(1kg)
$1.79MX$31.11
$1.72MX$29.97
4.07%
Onion(1kg)
$2.18MX$37.87
$1.84MX$31.95
18.48%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.08MX$18.73
$1.30MX$22.62
-16.92%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04MX$18.04
$1.16MX$20.21
-10.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.97MX$69.1
$4.30MX$74.8
-7.67%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.20MX$178
$17.31MX$301
-41.07%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.73MX$30.04
$1.94MX$33.68
-10.82%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50MX$43.46
$3.29MX$57.3
-24.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Atotonilco el Alto
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.52MX$9.02
$0.65MX$11.31
-20.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$26.97MX$469
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.14MX$54.7
$3.14MX$54.7
-
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.40MX$41.80
$1.20MX$20.86
100.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.09MX$53.7
$9.16MX$159
-66.27%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.27MX$22.16
$1.25MX$21.68
1.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9KMX$537.3K
$19.8KMX$344.3K
56.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3KMX$405.7K
$20.2KMX$352.3K
15.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Atotonilco el Alto
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$82.0MX$1,427
$62.5MX$1,087
31.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.45MX$391
$24.07MX$419
-6.73%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.66MX$516
$28.13MX$489
5.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Atotonilco el Alto
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$51.9MX$903
$35.80MX$623
44.89%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.67MX$325
$16.08MX$280
16.11%
Cinema Ticket
$4.97MX$86.5
$6.07MX$106
-18.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Atotonilco el Alto
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$198MX$3,442
$316MX$5,503
-37.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,273MX$91.7K
$4,910MX$85.4K
7.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Atotonilco el Alto
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.34MX$632
$51.5MX$896
-29.41%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.05MX$697
$42.29MX$736
-5.30%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$79.9MX$1,390
$98.2MX$1,709
-18.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.9MX$1,547
$95.6MX$1,664
-7.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Atotonilco el Alto
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$963MX$16.8K
$515MX$8,955
87.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$465MX$8,086
$397MX$6,901
17.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,596MX$27.8K
$914MX$15.9K
74.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,209MX$21.0K
$756MX$13.1K
59.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,942MX$68.6K
$1,865MX$32.5K
111.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$6,448MX$112.2K
$1,350MX$23.5K
377.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Atotonilco el Alto
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$720MX$12.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
11.42
11.55
-1.13%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026
Última actualización para Atotonilco el Alto: April 26, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $515 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $47.00 in Atotonilco el Alto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $293 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Playa del Carmen vs Atotonilco el Alto: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is Atotonilco el Alto cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Atotonilco el Alto is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,731 in Atotonilco el Alto 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.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Atotonilco el Alto?
Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $515 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $316 in Atotonilco el Alto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or Atotonilco el Alto?
Dining out is cheaper in Atotonilco el Alto – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Playa del Carmen or Atotonilco el Alto?
At $1,154 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Atotonilco el Alto but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Atotonilco el Alto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Playa del Carmen or Atotonilco el Alto more family-friendly?
For families, Atotonilco el Alto 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.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or Atotonilco el Alto?
Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Atotonilco el Alto are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Atotonilco el Alto 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.
Playa del Carmen vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado