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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,223 in Ciudad Obregon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,992 in Ciudad Obregon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,761 in Ciudad Obregon.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$13.23 MX$223

-11.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$51.6 MX$872

-9.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$9.48 MX$160

22.89%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$3.84 MX$64.9

6.51%

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

$1.37 MX$23.21

$1.42 MX$24.03

-3.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.08

$0.98 MX$16.50

-15.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$2.84 MX$47.97

17.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$4.41 MX$74.5

56.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.16

$1.78 MX$30.06

-2.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.17

$2.82 MX$47.69

-19.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.88

$1.81 MX$30.64

-2.21%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.14

$2.53 MX$42.66

7.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$8.59 MX$145

6.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$9.15 MX$155

-2.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$12.22 MX$206

3.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$2.88 MX$48.58

4.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.52

$1.69 MX$28.50

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.89

$2.02 MX$34.10

5.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.23

$1.97 MX$33.29

14.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.84

$2.18 MX$36.84

-8.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.86

$2.13 MX$35.93

-3.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.92

$1.56 MX$26.38

-24.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.33

$1.17 MX$19.81

2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$4.80 MX$81.0

-3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$10.13 MX$171

5.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.35

$1.92 MX$32.49

-15.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.65

$3.46 MX$58.4

-16.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.68 MX$11.52

-16.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.0

$2.96 MX$50.0

84.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$2.12 MX$35.85

74.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$12.21 MX$206

-51.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.23

$1.41 MX$23.86

9.93%

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

$22.3K MX$377.0K

$20.9K MX$352.3K

7.02%

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

$25.9K MX$438.2K

$23.8K MX$402.7K

8.81%

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

$89.1 MX$1,505

$54.4 MX$919

63.78%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$23.58 MX$398

6.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$34.79 MX$587

-9.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$37.37 MX$631

81.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$21.65 MX$366

33.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$5.57 MX$94.0

-9.34%

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

$225 MX$3,798

$247 MX$4,176

-9.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$4,985 MX$84.2K

-15.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$58.8 MX$992

-19.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$45.26 MX$764

-0.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$107 MX$1,813

-23.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$91.9 MX$1,552

0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$597 MX$10.1K

79.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,844

$426 MX$7,190

-4.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$994 MX$16.8K

94.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$908 MX$15.3K

43.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$1,984 MX$33.5K

101.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.9K

$1,225 MX$20.7K

440.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$1,268 MX$21.4K

-40.95%

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 Ciudad Obregon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $597 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 69% 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 $52.0 in Ciudad Obregon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $282 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 Ciudad Obregon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Obregon wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ciudad Obregon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Ciudad Obregon. 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 $597 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $247 in Ciudad Obregon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ciudad Obregon – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,223 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Obregon but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Obregon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ciudad Obregon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ciudad Obregon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ciudad Obregon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ciudad Obregon 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.