Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Naucalpan de Juárez Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Naucalpan de Juárez

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,213 in Naucalpan de Juárez.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,988 in Naucalpan de Juárez.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,764 in Naucalpan de Juárez.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 4% more expensive than in Naucalpan de Juárez, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Naucalpan de Juárez 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$13.08 MX$228

-10.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$52.4 MX$914

-20.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$8.08 MX$141

30.07%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$3.71 MX$64.7

-3.23%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$1.62 MX$28.24

-6.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$1.13 MX$19.69

-18.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$3.08 MX$53.7

-3.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$4.67 MX$81.5

-5.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.43 MX$24.86

-2.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$2.65 MX$46.13

-29.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.85 MX$32.20

-15.68%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.64 MX$46.04

-1.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$7.83 MX$137

6.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$11.57 MX$202

-27.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$13.50 MX$235

-19.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$2.88 MX$50.2

-5.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.71 MX$29.83

-11.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$2.10 MX$36.67

-10.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$2.68 MX$46.74

-18.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$2.54 MX$44.27

-26.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$3.05 MX$53.2

-26.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.63 MX$28.51

-34.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$1.11 MX$19.39

-1.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$4.18 MX$72.9

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$17.13 MX$299

-39.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.86 MX$32.52

-10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$3.53 MX$61.6

-26.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.64 MX$11.24

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$1.31 MX$22.93

135.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.30 MX$5.26

700.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$5.32 MX$92.9

-41.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.28 MX$22.24

2.34%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$18.2K MX$318.1K

63.44%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$21.5K MX$374.7K

8.54%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$40.22 MX$702

102.09%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$25.96 MX$453

-13.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$30.47 MX$531

-1.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$35.55 MX$620

48.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$15.56 MX$271

18.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$6.17 MX$108

-20.26%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$347 MX$6,059

-42.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$3,627 MX$63.3K

42.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$57.0 MX$994

-36.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$45.39 MX$792

-11.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$105 MX$1,826

-23.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$107 MX$1,869

-19.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$517 MX$9,012

89.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$398 MX$6,937

18.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$936 MX$16.3K

76.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$777 MX$13.5K

54.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$2,178 MX$38.0K

81.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$1,094 MX$19.1K

504.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.5

-0.70%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Naucalpan de Juárez: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $517 in Naucalpan de Juárez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $52.0 in Naucalpan de Juárez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $311 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Naucalpan de Juárez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Naucalpan de Juárez wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Naucalpan de Juárez the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,819 in Naucalpan de Juárez to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $517 in Naucalpan de Juárez. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,213 in Naucalpan de Juárez – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,213 in Naucalpan de Juárez versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Naucalpan de Juárez but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Naucalpan de Juárez the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Naucalpan de Juárez delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,213 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Naucalpan de Juárez hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Naucalpan de Juárez gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.