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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,087 in Los Mochis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,720 in Los Mochis, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,353 in Los Mochis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 16% 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 6% lower, Los Mochis 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$7.43 MX$130

61.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$23.77 MX$417

75.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$8.55 MX$150

25.73%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$3.35 MX$58.8

4.48%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.89 MX$15.60

62.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.61 MX$10.77

44.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$2.16 MX$37.89

36.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$4.21 MX$73.8

7.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.49 MX$26.14

-4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$2.52 MX$44.28

-26.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.62 MX$28.49

-3.09%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.42 MX$42.38

3.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$8.16 MX$143

1.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$7.74 MX$136

8.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$10.55 MX$185

1.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.58 MX$45.18

1.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.45 MX$25.51

-0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.72 MX$30.10

13.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.66 MX$29.19

25.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.95 MX$34.22

11.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.25 MX$21.94

-17.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.98 MX$17.18

9.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$4.15 MX$72.7

-1.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$11.08 MX$194

-8.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.61 MX$28.24

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.84 MX$49.76

-10.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.59 MX$10.42

-13.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$27.58 MX$484

-5.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$2.66 MX$46.68

21.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.55 MX$27.21

55.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$4.17 MX$73.1

-22.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.24 MX$21.78

6.45%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$14.9K MX$261.9K

98.85%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$20.1K MX$352.9K

17.63%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$57.1 MX$1,001

43.75%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$29.10 MX$510

-21.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$21.22 MX$372

41.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$26.91 MX$472

93.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$15.80 MX$277

17.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$4.00 MX$70.2

24.50%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$205 MX$3,600

-3.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$3,588 MX$62.9K

48.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$52.4 MX$919

-32.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$39.62 MX$695

1.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$91.3 MX$1,601

-13.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$78.4 MX$1,375

13.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$503 MX$8,818

88.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$395 MX$6,927

20.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$930 MX$16.3K

76.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$755 MX$13.2K

60.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$1,669 MX$29.3K

143.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$1,337 MX$23.5K

383.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$682 MX$12.0K

-4.05%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Los Mochis: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $503 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 4% higher in Los Mochis, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Los Mochis. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $250 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 16% 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,631 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $1,087 in Los Mochis. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Los Mochis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Los Mochis, where all-in costs run around $1,087, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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 $1,087 versus $1,256 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.