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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,021 in Cholula, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,575 in Cholula, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,129 in Cholula, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 25% more than Cholula, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cholula are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cholula 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$11.99 MX$206

-1.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$45.85 MX$787

-6.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.16 MX$140

30.51%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.64 MX$62.5

-5.22%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.18 MX$20.21

27.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.92 MX$15.71

3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.40 MX$41.15

26.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.17 MX$71.5

10.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.42 MX$24.32

-2.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.55 MX$43.76

-27.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.54 MX$26.49

4.55%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.42 MX$41.48

7.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.11 MX$122

16.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.50 MX$111

28.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.86 MX$186

-1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.52 MX$43.21

4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.37 MX$23.58

8.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.64 MX$28.14

17.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.77 MX$30.37

18.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.70 MX$29.15

9.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.83 MX$31.43

23.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.26 MX$21.64

-15.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.10 MX$18.96

-0.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.30 MX$73.8

-3.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$14.18 MX$243

-26.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.30 MX$22.29

32.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.85 MX$48.88

-8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.61 MX$10.54

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$16.36 MX$281

64.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.25 MX$55.8

-3.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.24 MX$21.35

102.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$10.45 MX$179

-69.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.26 MX$21.56

0.79%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$20.2K MX$346.4K

50.47%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.6K MX$354.3K

14.18%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$62.9 MX$1,080

31.96%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$22.37 MX$384

1.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$25.48 MX$437

15.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$35.39 MX$607

44.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$15.73 MX$270

16.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.27 MX$90.5

-6.45%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$319 MX$5,478

-38.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,546 MX$60.9K

48.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$51.1 MX$877

-27.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$42.73 MX$733

-6.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$112 MX$1,915

-28.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$99.7 MX$1,712

-10.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$365 MX$6,270

161.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$254 MX$4,359

87.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$511 MX$8,774

221.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$377 MX$6,473

224.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,940 MX$33.3K

101.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,240 MX$21.3K

420.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$853 MX$14.6K

-21.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.25

1.51%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cholula: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $365 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 28% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $46.00 in Cholula. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $246 in Cholula – so Cholula wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 25% more than Cholula, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,531 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $46.00 in Cholula. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,021 in Cholula. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cholula, where all-in costs run around $1,021, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Cholula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cholula costs $1,021 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cholula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.