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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,104 in Azcapotzalco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,771 in Azcapotzalco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,438 in Azcapotzalco.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 17% more expensive than Azcapotzalco, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Azcapotzalco 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.73 MX$186

9.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$39.56 MX$684

5.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.80 MX$135

36.41%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.20 MX$55.4

10.00%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.27 MX$21.98

18.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.97 MX$16.77

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.43 MX$42.04

21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.95 MX$68.4

12.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.48 MX$25.54

-6.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$2.63 MX$45.54

-28.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.57 MX$27.14

4.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.32 MX$40.09

8.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$8.28 MX$143

0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.98 MX$138

4.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.50 MX$182

2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.71 MX$46.90

-4.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.44 MX$24.96

1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.80 MX$31.06

5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.58 MX$27.38

31.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.91 MX$33.11

-6.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.00 MX$34.57

9.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.25 MX$21.64

-16.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.02 MX$17.64

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.15 MX$71.8

-1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$10.90 MX$188

-5.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.56 MX$26.96

9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.78 MX$48.09

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.66 MX$11.43

-22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.66 MX$46.02

22.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.53 MX$26.46

62.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$8.33 MX$144

-60.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.32 MX$22.77

-0.76%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$21.5K MX$371.9K

40.82%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$22.3K MX$386.3K

4.91%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$56.8 MX$982

45.90%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$21.86 MX$378

1.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$27.79 MX$481

5.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$35.47 MX$614

45.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$15.71 MX$272

16.61%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.66 MX$80.7

8.80%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$203 MX$3,518

-1.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,598 MX$62.2K

44.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$53.6 MX$927

-31.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$39.25 MX$679

1.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$89.3 MX$1,544

-12.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$80.5 MX$1,392

8.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$514 MX$8,889

89.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$403 MX$6,963

16.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$923 MX$16.0K

77.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$754 MX$13.0K

61.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,958 MX$33.9K

101.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,233 MX$21.3K

427.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,834 MX$31.7K

-63.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.48

-0.52%

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 Azcapotzalco: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $514 in Azcapotzalco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Azcapotzalco pays 176% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $40.00 in Azcapotzalco. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $252, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Azcapotzalco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Azcapotzalco differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,104 including rent). Azcapotzalco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Azcapotzalco earns 176% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $514 in Azcapotzalco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,104 in Azcapotzalco – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,104 in Azcapotzalco versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Azcapotzalco but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Azcapotzalco 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 Azcapotzalco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.