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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,116 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,760 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,403 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 13% more expensive than in 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

$11.95 MX$208

$10.41 MX$181

14.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$39.29 MX$684

6.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$8.06 MX$140

29.28%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$3.35 MX$58.2

4.78%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$1.23 MX$21.49

23.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.84

$0.96 MX$16.79

-5.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$2.39 MX$41.59

27.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$3.99 MX$69.4

9.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$1.45 MX$25.19

-2.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$2.55 MX$44.43

-28.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$1.61 MX$28.01

1.24%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$2.40 MX$41.82

5.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$8.06 MX$140

6.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$8.05 MX$140

5.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$10.66 MX$185

1.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.94

$2.57 MX$44.73

7.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.43 MX$24.92

0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.83

$1.77 MX$30.72

6.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$1.59 MX$27.75

36.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$1.91 MX$33.16

-6.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$2.01 MX$34.96

10.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$1.26 MX$21.84

-15.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.99 MX$17.17

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$4.16 MX$72.4

-0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$11.08 MX$193

-5.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$1.56 MX$27.23

11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.92

$2.81 MX$48.95

-8.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.65 MX$11.37

-21.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$451

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$2.65 MX$46.06

21.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$1.60 MX$27.87

56.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$8.07 MX$140

-60.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.27 MX$22.01

-0.79%

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

$29.7K MX$516.6K

$21.4K MX$371.6K

39.03%

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

$23.7K MX$412.1K

$22.0K MX$383.4K

7.49%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$55.8 MX$971

46.98%

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

$22.73 MX$395

$22.27 MX$388

2.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$27.79 MX$484

5.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$36.16 MX$629

44.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$15.72 MX$274

17.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$4.59 MX$79.9

7.41%

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

$202 MX$3,511

$209 MX$3,645

-3.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$3,642 MX$63.4K

43.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$52.3 MX$909

-31.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$40.37 MX$702

-0.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$88.1 MX$1,533

-9.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$78.8 MX$1,372

13.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$505 MX$8,795

87.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,097

$400 MX$6,956

16.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$917 MX$16.0K

77.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$748 MX$13.0K

59.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.4K

$1,901 MX$33.1K

106.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

420.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$581 MX$10.1K

13.23%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $505 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 13% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Lazaro Cardenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $251 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 13% 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.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $505 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $209 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 $1,116 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,259 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 $1,116 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 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.