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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,145 in Celaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,820 in Celaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,496 in Celaya.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 13% more expensive than Celaya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Celaya 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$11.55 MX$199

1.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$42.65 MX$734

-2.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$8.01 MX$138

29.96%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.88 MX$49.64

25.35%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.17 MX$20.14

24.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.94 MX$16.10

3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.60 MX$44.81

12.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$4.60 MX$79.1

0.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.65 MX$28.39

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$2.37 MX$40.71

-19.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.52 MX$26.10

3.29%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$1.95 MX$33.58

35.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$9.43 MX$162

-10.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$8.81 MX$152

-2.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$10.69 MX$184

2.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.95 MX$50.7

-8.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.59 MX$27.44

-5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.82 MX$31.35

4.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.94 MX$33.40

11.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$2.09 MX$36.01

-10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$2.22 MX$38.13

0.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.33 MX$22.85

-18.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.00 MX$17.16

7.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$3.96 MX$68.1

5.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$17.06 MX$294

-39.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.71 MX$29.46

-1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$3.36 MX$57.9

-24.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.56 MX$9.65

-1.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$26.39 MX$454

-0.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$0.82 MX$14.15

290.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.60 MX$27.60

53.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$8.58 MX$148

-62.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.25 MX$21.47

5.60%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$26.4K MX$453.8K

14.34%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$21.7K MX$374.1K

7.60%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$46.83 MX$806

73.71%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$21.94 MX$378

2.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$20.89 MX$359

43.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$36.21 MX$623

42.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$15.56 MX$268

18.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$4.87 MX$83.7

5.95%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$220 MX$3,793

-8.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$3,489 MX$60.0K

52.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$58.5 MX$1,006

-39.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$42.22 MX$726

-4.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$98.5 MX$1,694

-20.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$73.6 MX$1,266

18.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$513 MX$8,827

85.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$396 MX$6,820

20.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$918 MX$15.8K

76.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$754 MX$13.0K

62.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$867 MX$14.9K

-22.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.5

-0.70%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Celaya: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $513 in Celaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Celaya pays 29% 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 $43.00 in Celaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $277 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 Celaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Celaya differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $1,145 including rent). Celaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Celaya earns 29% 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $513 in Celaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Celaya – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,145 in Celaya – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,145 in Celaya versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Celaya but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Celaya 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 Celaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.