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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $876 in Pachuca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,437 in Pachuca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,997 in Pachuca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 48% more expensive than Pachuca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Pachuca 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.79 MX$82.9

144.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$24.63 MX$426

68.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.75 MX$134

37.29%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.85 MX$49.31

23.51%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.14 MX$19.76

32.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.76 MX$13.19

27.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.55 MX$26.82

90.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.24 MX$56.0

37.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.43 MX$24.75

-3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$2.88 MX$49.84

-34.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.83 MX$31.58

-10.38%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.51 MX$43.49

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.25 MX$125

15.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.44 MX$76.7

87.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.42 MX$128

44.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.93 MX$33.39

34.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.26 MX$21.73

15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.46 MX$25.31

30.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.62 MX$28.09

28.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.46 MX$25.32

21.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.25 MX$21.70

75.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.89 MX$15.43

16.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.98 MX$16.98

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.24 MX$73.4

-3.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.60 MX$149

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.29 MX$22.35

32.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.51 MX$43.38

2.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.58 MX$10.05

-12.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$26.08 MX$451

1.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.55 MX$44.10

27.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.24 MX$21.45

100.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$7.92 MX$137

-58.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.32 MX$22.77

-0.76%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$18.5K MX$319.8K

63.75%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$21.1K MX$365.1K

11.01%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$52.2 MX$902

58.88%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$17.38 MX$301

27.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$22.62 MX$391

29.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$23.36 MX$404

121.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$10.41 MX$180

75.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.60 MX$79.5

10.22%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$161 MX$2,790

24.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,066 MX$53.0K

70.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$53.2 MX$920

-30.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$40.42 MX$699

-1.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$94.4 MX$1,633

-16.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$75.1 MX$1,299

15.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$385 MX$6,651

152.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$266 MX$4,599

75.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$726 MX$12.6K

126.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$668 MX$11.5K

82.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$770 MX$13.3K

412.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$676 MX$11.7K

861.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$695 MX$12.0K

-4.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.75

6.23%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Pachuca: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $385 in Pachuca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pachuca pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Pachuca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $209 per month, with Pachuca 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 Pachuca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pachuca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Pachuca earns 5% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $385 in Pachuca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $161 in Pachuca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $876 in Pachuca versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pachuca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Pachuca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pachuca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Pachuca 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 Pachuca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.