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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,078 in Nogales.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,744 in Nogales.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,409 in Nogales.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 19% more expensive than Nogales, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Nogales 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$8.94 MX$156

33.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$42.22 MX$739

1.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.80 MX$137

35.77%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.23 MX$56.5

12.07%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.42 MX$24.79

3.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.77 MX$13.52

22.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.91 MX$33.43

61.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.85 MX$67.4

15.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.49 MX$26.07

-4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.50 MX$43.82

-24.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.57 MX$27.43

3.82%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.31 MX$40.35

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.25 MX$144

-0.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$8.02 MX$140

3.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.54 MX$184

5.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.68 MX$46.90

-1.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.39 MX$24.29

7.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.71 MX$29.87

16.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.58 MX$27.59

31.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.93 MX$33.73

-7.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.93 MX$33.84

12.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.20 MX$21.04

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.02 MX$17.89

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.30 MX$75.3

-7.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$9.49 MX$166

7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.57 MX$27.42

10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.82 MX$49.43

-11.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.66 MX$11.56

-21.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.38 MX$59.2

-7.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.56 MX$27.25

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.47 MX$148

-63.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.35 MX$23.71

-5.93%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$21.4K MX$373.7K

44.61%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$22.9K MX$400.3K

1.94%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$57.5 MX$1,007

42.58%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$22.47 MX$393

-0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$27.77 MX$486

6.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$35.37 MX$619

46.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$15.91 MX$278

17.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.60 MX$80.5

8.04%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$210 MX$3,677

-5.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,602 MX$63.0K

46.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$52.0 MX$910

-30.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$39.15 MX$685

2.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$90.1 MX$1,576

-11.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$79.5 MX$1,392

11.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$515 MX$9,008

87.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$391 MX$6,849

18.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$939 MX$16.4K

69.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$752 MX$13.2K

60.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,254 MX$39.5K

74.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,320 MX$23.1K

388.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Nogales: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $515 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 $251 vs $248 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 19% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $1,078 including rent). Nogales is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,618 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $515 in Nogales. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $210 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 $1,078 in Nogales versus $1,287 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 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.