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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $820 in Guanajuato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,336 in Guanajuato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,852 in Guanajuato.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 55% more expensive than Guanajuato, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Guanajuato 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.09 MX$139

46.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$33.90 MX$582

26.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.41 MX$110

66.15%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.18 MX$37.41

58.26%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.29 MX$22.11

16.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.95 MX$16.36

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.59 MX$44.41

16.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.63 MX$79.5

-0.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.36 MX$23.39

1.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.28 MX$39.06

-18.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.28 MX$22.02

25.78%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.02 MX$34.61

28.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$5.63 MX$96.6

46.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.21 MX$124

16.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.14 MX$157

16.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.75 MX$47.24

-4.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.48 MX$25.47

0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.81 MX$31.05

6.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.86 MX$31.99

12.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.92 MX$32.99

-3.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.24 MX$38.37

0.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.27 MX$21.86

-16.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.98 MX$16.80

11.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.85 MX$66.1

7.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.77 MX$116

53.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.72 MX$29.45

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.35 MX$57.5

-22.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.44 MX$7.53

22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$26.24 MX$450

2.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.78 MX$13.36

301.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.12 MX$19.21

124.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.47 MX$145

-62.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.31 MX$22.48

-3.05%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.5K MX$369.2K

41.19%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$22.2K MX$380.8K

6.23%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$46.76 MX$803

77.50%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$21.81 MX$374

4.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$21.44 MX$368

37.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$27.49 MX$472

85.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$16.10 MX$276

13.85%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.65 MX$79.8

6.02%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$187 MX$3,213

5.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,465 MX$59.5K

52.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$59.2 MX$1,016

-37.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$36.72 MX$630

8.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$52.3 MX$897

53.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$57.2 MX$982

56.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$300 MX$5,143

219.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$184 MX$3,156

159.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$678 MX$11.6K

142.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$423 MX$7,259

189.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,431 MX$24.6K

173.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,125 MX$19.3K

474.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$758 MX$13.0K

-11.95%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Guanajuato: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $300 in Guanajuato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guanajuato pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Guanajuato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $225 per month, with Guanajuato 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 Guanajuato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guanajuato wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guanajuato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Guanajuato earns 14% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $300 in Guanajuato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Guanajuato – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $820 in Guanajuato versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guanajuato but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Guanajuato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guanajuato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $820 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guanajuato hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Guanajuato 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 Guanajuato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.