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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,128 in Tapachula, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,777 in Tapachula, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,426 in Tapachula, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 14% more than Tapachula, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tapachula are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Tapachula 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$10.56 MX$185

13.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$38.36 MX$671

11.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$8.10 MX$142

30.74%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.28 MX$57.4

10.37%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.28 MX$22.41

14.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.95 MX$16.63

-1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.43 MX$42.46

27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.93 MX$68.7

13.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.44 MX$25.19

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.61 MX$45.72

-27.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.57 MX$27.44

3.82%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.38 MX$41.69

10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.11 MX$142

1.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$8.01 MX$140

3.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.66 MX$186

4.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.68 MX$46.92

-1.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.46 MX$25.53

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.76 MX$30.88

13.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.60 MX$28.03

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.90 MX$33.23

-5.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.95 MX$34.21

11.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.21 MX$21.20

-10.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.98 MX$17.23

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.24 MX$74.3

-6.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$9.88 MX$173

3.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.56 MX$27.30

10.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.83 MX$49.56

-11.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.62 MX$10.80

-16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.61 MX$45.71

20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.59 MX$27.78

50.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.42 MX$147

-63.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.28 MX$22.32

-0.78%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$21.5K MX$376.3K

43.63%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$22.3K MX$389.8K

4.67%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$56.5 MX$989

45.07%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$22.38 MX$392

0.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$27.68 MX$484

7.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$36.28 MX$635

42.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$16.01 MX$280

16.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.52 MX$79.1

9.96%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$205 MX$3,592

-3.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,617 MX$63.3K

45.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$53.8 MX$941

-32.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$39.79 MX$696

0.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$90.4 MX$1,582

-11.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$78.8 MX$1,380

12.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$501 MX$8,767

92.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$395 MX$6,910

17.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$928 MX$16.2K

72.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$765 MX$13.4K

58.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,218 MX$38.8K

77.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,236 MX$21.6K

421.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Tapachula: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $501 in Tapachula. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Tapachula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $249 – making Tapachula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Tapachula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 14%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,692 in Tapachula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tapachula, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,128 in Tapachula. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $205 in Tapachula. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tapachula, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Tapachula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tapachula – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Tapachula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.