Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cholula

For one person, living is cheaper in Cholula: $1,077 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Cholula
Learn more

Cholula Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Cholula

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Cholula

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Cholula actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,077 in Cholula, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Cholula $1,077

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,703 in Cholula, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Cholula $1,703

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,329 in Cholula, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Cholula $2,329

Playa del Carmen costs about 12% more than Cholula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cholula are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Cholula 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$10.74 MX$199

1.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$805

$47.05 MX$874

-7.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$9.15 MX$170

28.74%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$70.7

$3.13 MX$58.2

21.73%

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

$1.28 MX$23.81

$1.51 MX$28.02

-15.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.54

$1.16 MX$21.47

-32.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$58.8

$2.65 MX$49.26

19.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.7

$4.72 MX$87.6

4.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.12

$1.89 MX$35.13

-25.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.17

$3.06 MX$56.8

-27.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.32

$1.73 MX$32.11

-17.92%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$46.85

$2.65 MX$49.15

-4.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$6.22 MX$116

16.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$5.54 MX$103

38.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$10.90 MX$202

16.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.7

$2.56 MX$47.48

8.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.41

$1.74 MX$32.36

-21.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.37

$1.90 MX$35.36

34.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.43

$1.93 MX$35.93

9.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.00

$1.76 MX$32.61

10.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.02

$1.77 MX$32.91

6.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.29

$1.46 MX$27.17

-21.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.89

$1.21 MX$22.39

-2.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$79.8

$4.47 MX$83.0

-3.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$13.71 MX$255

-27.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.41

$1.38 MX$25.65

14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.60

$2.58 MX$47.94

3.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.28

$0.48 MX$8.90

14.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$494

$18.92 MX$351

40.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.3

$3.29 MX$61.1

51.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$61.9

$2.53 MX$46.97

31.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.5

$15.77 MX$293

-66.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.82

$1.41 MX$26.14

2.13%

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

$20.7K MX$383.8K

$24.6K MX$457.5K

-16.11%

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

$23.5K MX$435.8K

$22.9K MX$425.6K

2.38%

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

$84.8 MX$1,575

$58.1 MX$1,079

45.94%

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

$23.41 MX$435

$18.53 MX$344

26.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$532

$23.47 MX$436

22.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,059

$71.3 MX$1,324

-20.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$537

$19.93 MX$370

45.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.4

$5.45 MX$101

-5.69%

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

$207 MX$3,836

$257 MX$4,777

-19.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$72.9K

$4,548 MX$84.5K

-13.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$805

$51.3 MX$953

-15.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$770

$43.70 MX$812

-5.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,378

$102 MX$1,894

-27.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,657

$95.9 MX$1,782

-6.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$431 MX$8,007

127.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,072

$286 MX$5,314

33.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.7K

$582 MX$10.8K

193.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$472 MX$8,769

127.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.2K

$1,927 MX$35.8K

104.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.4K

$1,145 MX$21.3K

437.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.6K

$792 MX$14.7K

-7.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.96

4.47%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cholula: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Cholula

$286 26.6% 24.9% $95

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Cholula

$255 23.7% 0.2% $0.5

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Cholula

$184 17.1% 8.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Cholula

$100 9.3% 26.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Cholula

$132 12.2% 18% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Cholula

$82 7.6% 22.1% $15

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cholula

$37 3.4% 27.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $431 in Cholula. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Cholula, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $47 in Cholula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Cholula

🕒 Local time

23:28 11:28 PM

22:28 10:28 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

908

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Playa del Carmen Cholula 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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Playa del Carmen
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Cholula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 12% more than Cholula, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,615 in Cholula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cholula, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $431 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,077 in Cholula. That makes Cholula about 11% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $257 in Cholula. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,077 in Cholula. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cholula costs $1,077 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.