Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lazaro Cardenas Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lazaro Cardenas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,121 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,771 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,422 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 12% more expensive than Lazaro Cardenas, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Lazaro Cardenas 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$10.42 MX$181

12.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$38.63 MX$669

8.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$8.03 MX$139

29.51%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.39 MX$58.8

6.49%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.28 MX$22.24

14.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.97 MX$16.82

-6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.34 MX$40.59

29.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$3.86 MX$66.9

15.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.44 MX$24.99

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$2.55 MX$44.24

-27.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.63 MX$28.16

-1.23%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.37 MX$41.14

8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.97 MX$138

6.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.73 MX$134

9.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$10.44 MX$181

5.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.67 MX$46.25

2.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.43 MX$24.82

4.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.72 MX$29.86

13.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.61 MX$27.83

31.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.85 MX$32.12

0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$2.00 MX$34.70

8.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.25 MX$21.71

-14.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$1.02 MX$17.61

2.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$4.15 MX$71.9

0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$10.87 MX$188

-5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.55 MX$26.88

7.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.83 MX$48.99

-12.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.60 MX$10.43

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$2.63 MX$45.54

17.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.59 MX$27.62

54.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$8.44 MX$146

-61.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.33 MX$22.98

-5.26%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$21.2K MX$366.9K

42.47%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$22.9K MX$396.5K

2.46%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$55.5 MX$963

51.22%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$21.88 MX$379

1.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$28.23 MX$489

5.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$35.42 MX$614

48.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$15.85 MX$275

15.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$4.64 MX$80.5

6.68%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$210 MX$3,646

-5.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$3,606 MX$62.5K

47.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$53.5 MX$928

-32.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$39.20 MX$679

2.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$88.8 MX$1,539

-11.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$78.8 MX$1,366

9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$517 MX$8,966

88.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$394 MX$6,820

19.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$949 MX$16.4K

68.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$749 MX$13.0K

62.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$2,037 MX$35.3K

97.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,271 MX$22.0K

417.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$581 MX$10.1K

23.01%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $517 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $39 in Lazaro Cardenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $249 per month, with Lazaro Cardenas 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 Lazaro Cardenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lazaro Cardenas wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lazaro Cardenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 23% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $517 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $210 in Lazaro Cardenas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lazaro Cardenas – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,121 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lazaro Cardenas but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lazaro Cardenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lazaro Cardenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,121 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lazaro Cardenas hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lazaro Cardenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.