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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,220 in Nogales.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,928 in Nogales.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,637 in Nogales.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 4% more expensive than in Nogales, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Nogales 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$11.70 MX$201

-0.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$47.01 MX$807

0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$8.07 MX$138

47.21%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$3.62 MX$62.2

9.94%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.39 MX$23.87

2.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$1.16 MX$19.88

-29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.93 MX$50.4

8.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.85 MX$83.2

40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.76 MX$30.21

-4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$2.65 MX$45.48

-16.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.65 MX$28.25

3.64%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.63 MX$45.21

4.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$9.39 MX$161

2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$7.92 MX$136

13.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$11.16 MX$192

14.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.65 MX$45.51

9.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.83 MX$31.44

-18.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.10 MX$35.96

2.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.75 MX$29.96

29.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.99 MX$34.17

-0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.05 MX$35.22

-2.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.30 MX$22.37

-5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.13 MX$19.42

6.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$4.16 MX$71.5

9.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$12.21 MX$210

-15.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.95 MX$33.46

-16.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$3.59 MX$61.7

-19.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.62 MX$10.58

-3.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.17 MX$54.4

70.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.20 MX$37.74

69.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$11.96 MX$205

-51.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.51 MX$25.84

1.99%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$23.8K MX$409.0K

-5.38%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$22.1K MX$379.4K

17.88%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$55.4 MX$950

65.07%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$25.89 MX$444

-2.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$26.94 MX$462

15.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$41.45 MX$712

62.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$24.02 MX$412

21.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$5.24 MX$89.9

-7.25%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$226 MX$3,876

-0.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$5,341 MX$91.7K

-20.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$65.4 MX$1,122

-27.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$46.27 MX$794

-4.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$123 MX$2,111

-34.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$78.5 MX$1,348

17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$619 MX$10.6K

71.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$372 MX$6,386

4.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$945 MX$16.2K

127.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$828 MX$14.2K

53.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$2,151 MX$36.9K

86.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,384 MX$23.8K

369.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

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 Nogales: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $619 in Nogales. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $47.00 in Nogales. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $274, with Nogales cheaper for home cooking.

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 4% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,220 including rent). Nogales is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,830 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $619 in Nogales. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $226 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 $47.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,220 in Nogales versus $1,266 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 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.