Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Miguel Hidalgo Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Miguel Hidalgo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,124 in Miguel Hidalgo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,885 in Miguel Hidalgo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,646 in Miguel Hidalgo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 15% more than Miguel Hidalgo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Miguel Hidalgo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Miguel Hidalgo 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.69 MX$185

9.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$83.2 MX$1,442

-49.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.86 MX$136

35.37%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$3.33 MX$57.8

5.71%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.23 MX$21.37

22.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.98 MX$17.00

-1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.32 MX$40.12

27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$5.70 MX$98.8

-21.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.50 MX$25.94

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$2.50 MX$43.35

-24.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.57 MX$27.17

4.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.39 MX$41.47

5.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$8.26 MX$143

0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$8.90 MX$154

-6.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.58 MX$44.69

0.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.46 MX$25.35

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.73 MX$29.93

9.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.60 MX$27.69

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.86 MX$32.16

-4.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.92 MX$33.29

14.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.21 MX$20.95

-14.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.03 MX$17.80

4.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.29 MX$74.4

-4.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$10.71 MX$186

-3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.60 MX$27.68

6.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.73 MX$47.28

-5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.66 MX$11.42

-22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$2.65 MX$46.00

23.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.59 MX$27.61

56.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$8.20 MX$142

-60.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.25 MX$21.71

4.80%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$21.1K MX$366.0K

43.35%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$22.3K MX$385.6K

5.29%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$29.30 MX$508

182.83%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$22.31 MX$387

-0.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$30.75 MX$533

-4.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$44.80 MX$776

15.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$16.15 MX$280

13.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$4.57 MX$79.3

10.94%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$207 MX$3,594

-3.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$3,640 MX$63.1K

43.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$72.7 MX$1,259

-49.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$40.35 MX$699

-1.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$91.2 MX$1,581

-14.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$79.2 MX$1,373

9.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$510 MX$8,830

90.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$398 MX$6,905

17.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$937 MX$16.2K

75.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$766 MX$13.3K

59.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,922 MX$33.3K

105.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,277 MX$22.1K

409.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$573 MX$9,924

15.93%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Miguel Hidalgo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $510 in Miguel Hidalgo. 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 16% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $83.0 in Miguel Hidalgo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Miguel Hidalgo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 15%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,686 in Miguel Hidalgo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Miguel Hidalgo, 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $83.0 in Miguel Hidalgo. 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Miguel Hidalgo, where all-in costs run around $1,124, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Miguel Hidalgo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Miguel Hidalgo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Miguel Hidalgo. 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.