Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ciudad Juarez Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ciudad Juarez

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,237 in Ciudad Juarez, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,996 in Ciudad Juarez, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,756 in Ciudad Juarez, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 2% more than Ciudad Juarez, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ciudad Juarez are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Ciudad Juarez 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$9.86 MX$169

17.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$808

$35.46 MX$608

32.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$10.86 MX$186

9.39%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.03 MX$51.9

31.35%

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

$1.43 MX$24.46

$1.17 MX$20.05

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.14

$0.76 MX$12.99

7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.25 MX$38.58

41.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$116

$4.55 MX$78.1

49.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.72

$1.82 MX$31.16

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.67

$2.36 MX$40.45

-6.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.29

$1.74 MX$29.79

-1.72%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$46.99

$2.45 MX$42.04

11.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$13.47 MX$231

-28.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$154

$7.03 MX$120

28.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$12.66 MX$217

1.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.52

$2.83 MX$48.60

2.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.67

$2.20 MX$37.76

-31.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.83

$1.90 MX$32.49

13.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.74

$2.15 MX$36.81

5.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.96

$1.73 MX$29.71

14.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.11

$2.41 MX$41.25

-17.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.16

$1.61 MX$27.59

-23.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.52

$1.19 MX$20.33

0.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.0

$4.92 MX$84.4

-7.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$11.84 MX$203

-12.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.76

$1.35 MX$23.18

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.39

$3.43 MX$58.7

-16.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.29

$0.73 MX$12.59

-17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$28.94 MX$496

-0.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.4

$4.35 MX$74.5

23.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$63.9

$1.20 MX$20.52

210.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$98.9

$17.62 MX$302

-67.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.34

$1.38 MX$23.58

11.59%

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

$22.5K MX$386.6K

$23.0K MX$394.4K

-1.99%

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

$26.1K MX$446.7K

$26.4K MX$453.1K

-1.41%

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

$91.4 MX$1,567

$91.1 MX$1,562

0.27%

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

$25.20 MX$432

$23.97 MX$411

5.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$30.67 MX$526

1.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,152

$35.10 MX$602

91.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$499

$15.82 MX$271

84.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.4

$4.58 MX$78.4

6.11%

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

$224 MX$3,834

$229 MX$3,931

-2.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.5K

$3,027 MX$51.9K

39.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$63.2 MX$1,084

-25.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$759

$35.10 MX$602

26.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,373

$78.7 MX$1,350

1.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,589

$87.6 MX$1,502

5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$639 MX$11.0K

66.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,690

$407 MX$6,984

-4.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.8K

$1,066 MX$18.3K

101.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$917 MX$15.7K

38.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.6K

$1,029 MX$17.6K

288.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.5K

$731 MX$12.5K

789.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$625 MX$10.7K

21.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.32

1.15%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Juarez: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $639 in Ciudad Juarez. 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 21% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $35.00 in Ciudad Juarez. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $286 in Ciudad Juarez – so Playa del Carmen 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 Ciudad Juarez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $1,237 in Ciudad Juarez – roughly 2% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,856 in Ciudad Juarez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ciudad Juarez, 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $35.00 in Ciudad Juarez. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,237 in Ciudad Juarez. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ciudad Juarez, where all-in costs run around $1,237, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Ciudad Juarez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,237 in Ciudad Juarez to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ciudad Juarez. 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.