Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Oaxaca de Juarez Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Oaxaca de Juarez

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,226 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,858 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,490 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 3% more expensive than in Oaxaca de Juarez, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Oaxaca de Juarez 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.16 MX$123

62.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$34.89 MX$602

35.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.72 MX$150

36.24%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.00 MX$51.8

32.67%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.64 MX$28.22

-12.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.85 MX$14.66

-3.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.70 MX$46.59

18.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.15 MX$71.6

63.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.47 MX$25.33

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$3.35 MX$57.9

-34.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.14 MX$19.60

50.00%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.85 MX$31.91

48.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.05 MX$122

35.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.05 MX$104

48.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$11.92 MX$205

7.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.27 MX$39.22

27.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.31 MX$22.52

14.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.10 MX$36.14

2.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.60 MX$10.39

276.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.20 MX$38.02

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.09 MX$36.07

-4.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.19 MX$20.55

3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.00 MX$17.22

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.53 MX$78.2

0.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$10.29 MX$177

0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.49 MX$25.66

8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.80 MX$48.28

2.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.57 MX$9.76

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$4.19 MX$72.3

28.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.07 MX$35.62

80.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$11.60 MX$200

-50.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.47 MX$25.32

4.76%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$22.5K MX$387.5K

0.33%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$26.0K MX$448.8K

0.11%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$65.8 MX$1,135

38.88%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$11.85 MX$204

112.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$25.44 MX$439

22.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$46.39 MX$800

44.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.81 MX$100

-16.35%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$454 MX$7,836

-50.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$20.7K MX$356.6K

-79.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$49.07 MX$846

-4.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$66.2 MX$1,142

-33.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$107 MX$1,846

-25.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$102 MX$1,766

-9.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$761 MX$13.1K

39.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$523 MX$9,017

-25.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,270 MX$21.9K

69.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$930 MX$16.0K

36.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.96

4.47%

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 Oaxaca de Juarez: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $761 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $239 per month, with Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oaxaca de Juarez wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oaxaca de Juarez the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,840 in Oaxaca de Juarez 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 $761 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,226 in Oaxaca de Juarez – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,226 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oaxaca de Juarez but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Oaxaca de Juarez the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oaxaca de Juarez delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,226 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oaxaca de Juarez hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Oaxaca de Juarez are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Oaxaca de Juarez gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.