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: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,041 in Ciudad Obregon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,634 in Ciudad Obregon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,228 in Ciudad Obregon.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than Ciudad Obregon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Ciudad Obregon 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$10.50 MX$182

11.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$33.84 MX$586

23.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$6.89 MX$119

50.94%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.23 MX$38.63

61.88%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$0.69 MX$12.00

113.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.58 MX$10.08

56.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.28 MX$22.26

136.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$1.81 MX$31.36

146.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.70 MX$29.45

-18.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$2.14 MX$37.13

-14.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.42 MX$24.62

13.38%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.25 MX$39.01

14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$4.70 MX$81.4

80.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$5.30 MX$91.9

60.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$9.31 MX$161

18.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$1.80 MX$31.13

51.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.83 MX$31.65

-18.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.76 MX$30.54

11.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.62 MX$28.08

30.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.73 MX$30.00

7.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.73 MX$30.01

25.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.08 MX$18.76

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$1.37 MX$23.79

-23.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$4.05 MX$70.1

3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$10.00 MX$173

2.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.94 MX$33.65

-13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.81 MX$48.76

-11.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.61 MX$10.64

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.61 MX$27.93

92.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.60 MX$27.76

53.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$8.48 MX$147

-61.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.26 MX$21.78

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$16.9K MX$293.2K

78.28%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

0.87%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$99.3 MX$1,722

-15.45%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$22.59 MX$392

-1.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$26.78 MX$464

10.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$36.57 MX$634

43.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$15.64 MX$271

17.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$3.56 MX$61.7

39.04%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$289 MX$5,015

-31.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$4,690 MX$81.3K

13.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$42.87 MX$743

-16.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$32.02 MX$555

25.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$62.3 MX$1,079

26.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$62.7 MX$1,087

37.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$499 MX$8,655

95.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$399 MX$6,910

18.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$940 MX$16.3K

69.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$775 MX$13.4K

56.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$2,012 MX$34.9K

100.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,283 MX$22.2K

412.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-41.62%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Obregon: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $499 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $34 in Ciudad Obregon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $222 per month, with Ciudad Obregon 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 21% 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, Ciudad Obregon earns 71% 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $499 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $289 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 $34.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,041 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,261 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 $1,041 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 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.