Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nogales Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nogales

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,093 in Nogales.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,759 in Nogales.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,426 in Nogales.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 16% more expensive than Nogales, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Nogales 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.06 MX$156

31.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$41.57 MX$713

3.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.14 MX$140

30.84%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.17 MX$54.4

8.83%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.41 MX$24.24

6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.77 MX$13.28

23.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.91 MX$32.71

58.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.88 MX$66.6

18.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.45 MX$24.86

-4.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.60 MX$44.57

-28.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.56 MX$26.73

3.21%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.37 MX$40.68

9.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.81 MX$134

5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.68 MX$132

8.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.43 MX$179

2.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.58 MX$44.29

1.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.45 MX$24.82

2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.74 MX$29.83

10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.65 MX$28.38

26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.92 MX$32.87

-3.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.96 MX$33.61

15.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.20 MX$20.57

-11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.01 MX$17.34

7.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.07 MX$69.8

1.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.00 MX$172

3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.59 MX$27.29

8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.85 MX$48.84

-8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.60 MX$10.36

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.40 MX$58.4

-7.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.60 MX$27.44

56.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.22 MX$141

-61.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.35 MX$23.25

-5.93%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.0K MX$361.1K

44.36%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$22.8K MX$392.1K

3.16%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$56.5 MX$969

46.95%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$22.55 MX$387

0.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$28.43 MX$488

3.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$36.29 MX$623

40.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$16.19 MX$278

13.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.65 MX$79.8

6.02%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$203 MX$3,484

-2.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,557 MX$61.1K

48.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$52.9 MX$908

-30.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$39.28 MX$674

1.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$89.2 MX$1,532

-10.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$80.1 MX$1,376

11.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$504 MX$8,646

89.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$390 MX$6,690

22.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$948 MX$16.3K

73.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$766 MX$13.2K

59.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,026 MX$34.8K

93.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,419 MX$24.3K

355.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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 7, 2026

Last update for Nogales: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $504 in Nogales. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $42.00 in Nogales for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $246 per month, with Nogales 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 Nogales: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Nogales differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,093 including rent). Nogales is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,639 in Nogales 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $504 in Nogales. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $203 in Nogales. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nogales – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,093 in Nogales versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nogales but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nogales the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Nogales gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.