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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $939 in Pachuca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,567 in Pachuca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,196 in Pachuca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 35% more expensive than in Pachuca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Pachuca 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.09 MX$87.8

127.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$27.34 MX$471

72.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.63 MX$149

37.66%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.25 MX$56.0

22.46%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.27 MX$21.82

12.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.89 MX$15.38

-7.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.71 MX$29.45

86.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.41 MX$58.8

99.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.59 MX$27.48

5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.84 MX$48.92

-22.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.99 MX$34.35

-14.07%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.81 MX$48.50

-2.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.66 MX$132

25.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.02 MX$86.6

79.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.26 MX$142

55.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.15 MX$37.08

34.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.37 MX$23.69

9.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.65 MX$28.37

30.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.76 MX$30.41

28.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.63 MX$28.11

21.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.38 MX$23.83

44.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.93 MX$16.10

32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.01 MX$17.40

18.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.55 MX$78.4

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.91 MX$154

16.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.47 MX$25.37

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.73 MX$47.15

5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.62 MX$10.76

-3.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$29.61 MX$511

-2.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.85 MX$49.13

89.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$3.45 MX$59.5

8.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$11.60 MX$200

-50.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.44 MX$24.87

6.94%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$23.3K MX$401.3K

-3.11%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$24.9K MX$430.0K

4.49%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$44.47 MX$767

105.49%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$17.00 MX$293

48.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$24.08 MX$415

29.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$25.37 MX$437

164.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$11.78 MX$203

147.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.80 MX$82.7

1.25%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$177 MX$3,052

26.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$2,842 MX$49.0K

48.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$58.8 MX$1,013

-19.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$43.48 MX$750

1.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$104 MX$1,787

-22.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$83.3 MX$1,435

11.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$432 MX$7,448

145.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$293 MX$5,053

33.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$650 MX$11.2K

230.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$742 MX$12.8K

71.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$799 MX$13.8K

401.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$694 MX$12.0K

837.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$695 MX$12.0K

9.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.8

6.02%

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 Pachuca: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $432 in Pachuca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Pachuca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $225 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 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $432 in Pachuca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $177 in Pachuca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $939 in Pachuca versus $1,266 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 35% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.