Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Los Mochis Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Los Mochis

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,180 in Los Mochis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,880 in Los Mochis, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,579 in Los Mochis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 7% more than Los Mochis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Los Mochis are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Los Mochis 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.40 MX$128

56.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$35.33 MX$609

33.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$11.45 MX$197

3.76%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.45 MX$59.5

15.36%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.17 MX$20.14

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.09 MX$18.73

-24.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.99 MX$51.5

6.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.67 MX$63.2

85.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.66 MX$28.68

1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.60 MX$44.89

-15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.58 MX$27.24

8.23%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.28 MX$39.23

20.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.55 MX$130

26.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$9.20 MX$159

-2.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$13.99 MX$241

-8.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.16 MX$54.5

-8.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.51 MX$26.09

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.92 MX$33.09

11.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.92 MX$33.14

17.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.23 MX$38.46

-11.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.23 MX$38.53

-10.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.43 MX$24.74

-13.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.18 MX$20.34

1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.32 MX$74.5

5.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$11.02 MX$190

-5.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.81 MX$31.18

-10.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$3.73 MX$64.2

-22.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.67 MX$11.51

-10.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.82 MX$48.59

91.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.14 MX$36.83

74.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$11.32 MX$195

-49.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.50 MX$25.82

2.67%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$22.6K MX$389.0K

-0.05%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$25.7K MX$443.2K

1.36%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$68.9 MX$1,188

32.65%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$23.50 MX$405

7.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$31.10 MX$536

0.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$35.81 MX$617

87.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$21.66 MX$373

34.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.63 MX$97.1

-13.68%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$244 MX$4,205

-8.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$5,569 MX$96.0K

-24.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$57.9 MX$999

-18.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$44.93 MX$775

-1.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$109 MX$1,884

-26.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$92.8 MX$1,600

-0.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$642 MX$11.1K

65.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$407 MX$7,022

-4.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,093 MX$18.8K

96.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$824 MX$14.2K

54.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$2,237 MX$38.6K

78.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,043 MX$18.0K

523.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$702 MX$12.1K

7.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.3

1.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Los Mochis: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $642 in Los Mochis. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $35.00 in Los Mochis. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $280 in Los Mochis – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Los Mochis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 7% more than Los Mochis, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,770 in Los Mochis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Mochis, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $35.00 in Los Mochis. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Los Mochis, where all-in costs run around $1,180, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Los Mochis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Los Mochis costs $1,180 versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Los Mochis. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.