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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $880 in Pachuca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,451 in Pachuca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,021 in Pachuca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 43% more expensive than in Pachuca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Pachuca 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$4.78 MX$83.8

150.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$24.88 MX$436

67.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$7.99 MX$140

34.54%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.99 MX$52.5

17.06%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.08 MX$18.93

34.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.80 MX$13.98

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$1.63 MX$28.53

80.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$3.14 MX$55.1

43.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.43 MX$25.08

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$2.81 MX$49.23

-34.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.85 MX$32.36

-15.14%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.52 MX$44.21

-0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$7.27 MX$128

13.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$4.48 MX$78.5

88.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$7.44 MX$130

43.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.95 MX$34.28

33.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.31 MX$22.92

9.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.41 MX$24.72

39.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.62 MX$28.46

29.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.46 MX$25.68

26.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.26 MX$22.03

72.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.86 MX$15.01

19.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.95 MX$16.71

12.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$4.16 MX$73.0

-1.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.78 MX$154

15.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.30 MX$22.85

29.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.44 MX$42.82

3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.58 MX$10.20

-12.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$26.71 MX$469

-2.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$2.44 MX$42.86

32.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.24 MX$21.80

94.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$8.03 MX$141

-59.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.30 MX$22.78

1.54%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$18.1K MX$318.2K

63.71%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$21.2K MX$371.3K

11.79%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$51.5 MX$902

59.40%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$17.12 MX$300

34.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$23.16 MX$406

30.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$22.61 MX$397

129.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$10.51 MX$184

76.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$4.60 MX$80.7

8.26%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$156 MX$2,742

26.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$3,064 MX$53.8K

74.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$52.6 MX$923

-32.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$39.77 MX$698

1.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$92.9 MX$1,629

-15.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$75.1 MX$1,317

18.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$391 MX$6,863

142.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$256 MX$4,496

84.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$737 MX$12.9K

123.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$664 MX$11.6K

82.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$758 MX$13.3K

434.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$674 MX$11.8K

860.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$671 MX$11.8K

-2.62%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Pachuca: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $391 in Pachuca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pachuca pays 3% 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 $208 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 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Pachuca. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $391 in Pachuca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $156 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 $880 in Pachuca versus $1,256 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 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.