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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,074 in Nogales.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,755 in Nogales.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,436 in Nogales.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 17% more expensive than in 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

$11.72 MX$203

$8.79 MX$152

33.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$42.62 MX$737

-1.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.78 MX$135

35.09%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.20 MX$55.4

12.19%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.41 MX$24.46

7.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.81 MX$14.01

13.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.83 MX$31.59

61.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.81 MX$66.0

15.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.44 MX$24.90

-2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.64 MX$45.67

-28.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.63 MX$28.22

-4.29%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.32 MX$40.11

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.19 MX$142

1.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$7.83 MX$135

6.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.44 MX$181

4.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.68 MX$46.41

1.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.39 MX$24.01

8.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.72 MX$29.82

8.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.58 MX$27.38

38.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.87 MX$32.35

-0.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.94 MX$33.57

14.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.26 MX$21.88

-15.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.97 MX$16.82

12.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.07 MX$70.4

2.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.95 MX$189

-4.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.55 MX$26.83

7.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.76 MX$47.69

-5.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.61 MX$10.50

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.47 MX$60.0

-11.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.58 MX$27.38

51.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$8.43 MX$146

-62.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.35 MX$23.39

-2.96%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.7K MX$358.9K

43.69%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$22.6K MX$391.0K

3.20%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$55.7 MX$964

45.82%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$22.43 MX$388

0.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$28.35 MX$490

6.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$36.31 MX$628

45.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$15.77 MX$273

16.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.62 MX$79.9

6.49%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$203 MX$3,510

-1.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,604 MX$62.4K

43.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$52.3 MX$904

-31.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$40.02 MX$692

0.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$90.2 MX$1,561

-11.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$80.7 MX$1,395

7.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$506 MX$8,752

93.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$396 MX$6,850

18.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$917 MX$15.9K

79.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$760 MX$13.1K

58.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,041 MX$35.3K

93.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,212 MX$21.0K

444.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Nogales: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $506 in Nogales. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $43.00 in Nogales. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $250, 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 17% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $1,074 including rent). Nogales is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,611 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $506 in Nogales. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 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 $43.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,074 in Nogales versus $1,260 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 17% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.