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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,096 in Coatzacoalcos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,759 in Coatzacoalcos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,423 in Coatzacoalcos, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% more than Coatzacoalcos, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Coatzacoalcos are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Coatzacoalcos 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$10.37 MX$180

15.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$39.27 MX$683

8.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$8.02 MX$140

32.04%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$3.33 MX$57.9

8.71%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.29 MX$22.47

13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.92 MX$15.97

2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.43 MX$42.34

27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.82 MX$66.4

16.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.42 MX$24.65

0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$2.52 MX$43.85

-25.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.62 MX$28.19

0.62%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.38 MX$41.43

10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$7.92 MX$138

3.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$7.67 MX$133

8.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$10.39 MX$181

6.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.60 MX$45.21

1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.38 MX$24.09

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.79 MX$31.10

11.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.64 MX$28.55

26.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.82 MX$31.73

-1.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.94 MX$33.72

12.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.21 MX$21.03

-10.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.01 MX$17.61

2.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$4.09 MX$71.2

-2.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.34 MX$197

-10.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.54 MX$26.71

12.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.72 MX$47.27

-8.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.61 MX$10.70

-14.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.55 MX$44.32

23.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.60 MX$27.82

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$8.10 MX$141

-61.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.25 MX$21.79

1.60%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$21.5K MX$373.7K

43.80%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$22.7K MX$394.8K

2.76%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$57.4 MX$998

43.00%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$21.94 MX$382

2.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$28.38 MX$494

4.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$36.26 MX$631

43.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$15.93 MX$277

17.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$4.61 MX$80.2

7.81%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$206 MX$3,583

-3.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$3,562 MX$62.0K

48.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$52.1 MX$906

-30.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$39.79 MX$692

0.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$88.5 MX$1,539

-9.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$79.2 MX$1,378

12.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$518 MX$9,016

85.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$390 MX$6,787

19.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$946 MX$16.5K

68.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$774 MX$13.5K

56.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,249 MX$39.1K

75.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,224 MX$21.3K

426.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Coatzacoalcos: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $518 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. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $247 – making Coatzacoalcos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 17%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,644 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.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Coatzacoalcos, where all-in costs run around $1,096, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.