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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,217 in Azcapotzalco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,975 in Azcapotzalco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,732 in Azcapotzalco.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 6% more expensive than in Azcapotzalco, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Azcapotzalco 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$199

$11.87 MX$202

-1.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$791

$47.64 MX$809

-2.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$198

$9.29 MX$158

25.40%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.5

$3.70 MX$62.9

10.54%

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

$1.37 MX$23.34

$1.44 MX$24.38

-4.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.16

$1.11 MX$18.88

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.9

$2.97 MX$50.5

12.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$4.39 MX$74.6

57.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.33

$1.79 MX$30.37

-3.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.39

$2.89 MX$49.16

-21.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.05

$1.81 MX$30.81

-2.21%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.41

$2.63 MX$44.62

3.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$8.74 MX$148

5.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$9.19 MX$156

-2.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$214

$12.29 MX$209

2.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.3

$2.95 MX$50.1

2.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.68

$1.62 MX$27.51

-3.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.10

$2.08 MX$35.31

2.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.46

$1.97 MX$33.43

14.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.04

$2.13 MX$36.25

-6.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.06

$1.96 MX$33.34

5.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$20.04

$1.54 MX$26.23

-23.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.45

$1.16 MX$19.76

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.7

$4.61 MX$78.3

0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$182

$11.61 MX$197

-7.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.50

$1.95 MX$33.14

-16.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.93

$3.40 MX$57.8

-15.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.74

$0.74 MX$12.61

-22.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.5

$2.83 MX$48.08

92.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.9

$2.16 MX$36.68

71.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$102

$13.11 MX$223

-54.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.53 MX$25.99

1.31%

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

$22.3K MX$379.2K

$22.7K MX$385.1K

-1.54%

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

$25.9K MX$440.7K

$25.6K MX$435.5K

1.19%

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

$89.1 MX$1,514

$63.8 MX$1,084

39.70%

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

$25.04 MX$425

$24.19 MX$411

3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$535

$32.25 MX$548

-2.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,151

$36.71 MX$623

84.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

$21.86 MX$371

32.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.8

$5.55 MX$94.3

-9.01%

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

$225 MX$3,820

$249 MX$4,227

-9.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.7K

$4,903 MX$83.3K

-13.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$806

$58.8 MX$999

-19.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$764

$44.67 MX$759

0.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,392

$109 MX$1,846

-24.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,564

$92.4 MX$1,569

-0.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.2K

$659 MX$11.2K

62.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,884

$425 MX$7,212

-4.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.9K

$1,124 MX$19.1K

72.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.1K

$829 MX$14.1K

57.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

$1,978 MX$33.6K

101.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.5K

$1,240 MX$21.1K

434.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$1,889 MX$32.1K

-60.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.3

1.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Azcapotzalco: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $659 in Azcapotzalco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Azcapotzalco pays 152% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $48.00 in Azcapotzalco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $287 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 Azcapotzalco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Azcapotzalco differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $1,217 including rent). Azcapotzalco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 152% lower in Azcapotzalco. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $659 in Azcapotzalco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,217 in Azcapotzalco – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,217 in Azcapotzalco versus $1,293 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 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.