Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cuautitlan Izcalli Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cuautitlan Izcalli

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,027 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,627 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,227 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 26% more expensive than Cuautitlan Izcalli, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cuautitlan Izcalli 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.47 MX$181

12.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$25.34 MX$439

64.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.95 MX$138

33.84%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$3.11 MX$53.9

13.18%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.63 MX$28.22

-7.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$1.11 MX$19.27

-12.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.36 MX$40.83

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$4.89 MX$84.7

-9.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.63 MX$28.16

-15.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$2.61 MX$45.31

-27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.33 MX$23.12

23.31%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.51 MX$43.47

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$2.62 MX$45.40

218.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.97 MX$86.1

67.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.02 MX$122

52.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.36 MX$40.87

10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.49 MX$25.74

-2.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.28 MX$22.26

48.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$2.07 MX$35.85

0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$2.14 MX$37.10

-16.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$2.21 MX$38.36

-0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.46 MX$25.26

-28.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.07 MX$18.57

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.25 MX$73.7

-4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$10.27 MX$178

0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.55 MX$26.84

10.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$3.63 MX$63.0

-28.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.77 MX$13.30

-33.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.80 MX$13.87

307.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.30 MX$5.26

730.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$5.16 MX$89.5

-37.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.22 MX$21.19

7.38%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$19.3K MX$334.7K

56.77%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

0.63%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$40.96 MX$710

102.32%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$27.28 MX$473

-18.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$18.71 MX$324

56.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$36.50 MX$633

41.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$15.85 MX$275

15.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$4.20 MX$72.9

20.71%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$426 MX$7,379

-52.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$3,647 MX$63.2K

42.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$53.2 MX$922

-30.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$25.86 MX$448

53.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$103 MX$1,780

-23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$52.9 MX$916

64.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$515 MX$8,929

88.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$402 MX$6,974

16.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$947 MX$16.4K

73.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$755 MX$13.1K

61.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$2,160 MX$37.4K

82.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,160 MX$20.1K

459.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.34

0.71%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cuautitlan Izcalli: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $515 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Cuautitlan Izcalli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $213 per month, with Cuautitlan Izcalli 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 Cuautitlan Izcalli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuautitlan Izcalli is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,541 in Cuautitlan Izcalli to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $515 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $426 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuautitlan Izcalli – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,027 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuautitlan Izcalli but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cuautitlan Izcalli the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuautitlan Izcalli is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cuautitlan Izcalli 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 Cuautitlan Izcalli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.