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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,106 in Coatzacoalcos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,753 in Coatzacoalcos, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,399 in Coatzacoalcos, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 15% more than Coatzacoalcos, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Coatzacoalcos are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Coatzacoalcos 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.77 MX$185

10.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$38.93 MX$668

10.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.14 MX$140

30.84%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.25 MX$55.8

6.15%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.29 MX$22.22

16.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.98 MX$16.90

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.33 MX$39.94

30.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.80 MX$65.2

21.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.43 MX$24.47

-3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.61 MX$44.80

-29.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.54 MX$26.51

4.55%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.29 MX$39.30

13.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.80 MX$134

5.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$8.08 MX$139

3.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.67 MX$183

-0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.68 MX$45.97

-1.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.40 MX$24.03

6.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.73 MX$29.73

10.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.60 MX$27.43

30.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.92 MX$32.92

-3.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.95 MX$33.54

15.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.27 MX$21.73

-16.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.03 MX$17.61

5.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.14 MX$71.0

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.00 MX$189

-5.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.62 MX$27.78

6.17%

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$10.45

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.62 MX$44.91

19.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.55 MX$26.58

61.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.38 MX$144

-62.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.26 MX$21.57

0.79%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$20.8K MX$356.3K

46.33%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$22.8K MX$391.0K

3.43%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$57.6 MX$988

44.15%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$22.38 MX$384

1.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$27.63 MX$474

6.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$36.60 MX$628

39.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$15.84 MX$272

15.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.64 MX$79.7

6.25%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$209 MX$3,581

-5.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,544 MX$60.8K

48.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$53.3 MX$915

-30.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$40.13 MX$689

-0.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$90.9 MX$1,560

-11.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$79.3 MX$1,361

12.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$502 MX$8,620

90.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$396 MX$6,804

20.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$944 MX$16.2K

74.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$773 MX$13.3K

58.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,224 MX$38.2K

76.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,385 MX$23.8K

366.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.48

-0.52%

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 Coatzacoalcos: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $502 in Coatzacoalcos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Coatzacoalcos. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $251 in Coatzacoalcos – 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 Coatzacoalcos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 15%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,659 in Coatzacoalcos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Coatzacoalcos, 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 $39.00 in Coatzacoalcos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Coatzacoalcos, where all-in costs run around $1,106, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Coatzacoalcos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Coatzacoalcos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Coatzacoalcos. 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.