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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $795 in Guanajuato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,350 in Guanajuato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,904 in Guanajuato.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 58% more expensive than in Guanajuato, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Guanajuato 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$8.13 MX$142

44.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$32.93 MX$574

27.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$6.28 MX$109

67.36%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.14 MX$37.27

67.76%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$1.29 MX$22.51

17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.95 MX$16.56

-3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.66 MX$46.42

11.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$4.62 MX$80.6

-4.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.32 MX$22.96

6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$2.30 MX$40.12

-18.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.36 MX$23.70

14.71%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.95 MX$34.05

33.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$5.59 MX$97.5

48.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$7.59 MX$132

10.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$9.41 MX$164

15.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$2.73 MX$47.56

-0.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.41 MX$24.55

7.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.76 MX$30.69

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$1.82 MX$31.75

20.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.96 MX$34.22

-5.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$2.16 MX$37.71

3.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.33 MX$23.11

-19.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.97 MX$17.00

12.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$4.04 MX$70.5

3.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$6.69 MX$117

55.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.65 MX$28.76

0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$3.47 MX$60.5

-24.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.40 MX$7.05

35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$26.38 MX$460

-0.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$0.80 MX$14.04

285.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$1.12 MX$19.61

114.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$8.52 MX$149

-63.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.30 MX$22.60

0.77%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$21.7K MX$378.1K

37.48%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$21.6K MX$376.7K

7.99%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$46.17 MX$805

76.05%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$22.41 MX$391

0.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$21.06 MX$367

42.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$27.95 MX$487

89.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$15.95 MX$278

15.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$4.71 MX$82.2

4.46%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$183 MX$3,199

9.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$3,378 MX$58.9K

53.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$57.4 MX$1,001

-37.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$36.80 MX$642

9.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$52.9 MX$922

50.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$58.9 MX$1,028

46.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$305 MX$5,321

220.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$185 MX$3,219

154.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$699 MX$12.2K

136.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$429 MX$7,480

180.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$1,429 MX$24.9K

176.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$1,139 MX$19.9K

479.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$735 MX$12.8K

-7.99%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Guanajuato: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $305 in Guanajuato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guanajuato pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Guanajuato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $226 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 58% 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, salaries run 9% lower in Guanajuato. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $305 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 $33.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $795 in Guanajuato versus $1,260 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 $795 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 58% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.