Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Atotonilco el Alto Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Atotonilco el Alto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,166 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,843 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,520 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 8% more expensive than in Atotonilco el Alto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Atotonilco el Alto 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$9.82 MX$170

19.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$46.18 MX$799

-9.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.12 MX$141

29.43%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.68 MX$63.6

-2.45%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.26 MX$21.74

19.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.94 MX$16.32

-2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.45 MX$42.35

20.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$4.32 MX$74.8

2.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.55 MX$26.88

-9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.67 MX$46.15

-29.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.02 MX$34.91

-22.77%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.41 MX$41.62

8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.22 MX$142

1.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$9.89 MX$171

-15.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$12.90 MX$223

-15.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.71 MX$64.2

-26.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.53 MX$26.44

-1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.92 MX$33.17

-2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.73 MX$29.87

26.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.78 MX$30.86

4.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.90 MX$32.90

17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.31 MX$22.59

-18.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.11 MX$19.21

-1.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.21 MX$72.8

-0.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$16.86 MX$292

-38.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.94 MX$33.52

-14.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.14 MX$54.3

-16.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.65 MX$11.20

-16.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.19 MX$55.1

-3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.25 MX$21.64

92.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$9.34 MX$162

-66.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.26 MX$21.80

3.97%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$19.8K MX$341.9K

50.83%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$20.1K MX$347.5K

16.13%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$62.1 MX$1,074

30.95%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$23.55 MX$407

-4.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$27.87 MX$482

7.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$35.48 MX$614

49.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$16.03 MX$277

14.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.98 MX$103

-17.73%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$315 MX$5,445

-36.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,783 MX$82.8K

8.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$49.76 MX$861

-27.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$43.30 MX$749

-7.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$98.3 MX$1,700

-18.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$96.7 MX$1,673

-10.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$518 MX$8,957

88.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$389 MX$6,737

20.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$937 MX$16.2K

76.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$765 MX$13.2K

57.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,724 MX$29.8K

129.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,269 MX$22.0K

420.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.55

-1.13%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $518 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $46.00 in Atotonilco el Alto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $294 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Atotonilco el Alto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Atotonilco el Alto is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,749 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $518 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $315 in Atotonilco el Alto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Atotonilco el Alto – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,166 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,260 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Atotonilco el Alto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.