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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,335 in Tehuacan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,129 in Tehuacan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,922 in Tehuacan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 5% cheaper than Tehuacan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tehuacan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Tehuacan 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$12.04 MX$207

-3.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$53.0 MX$910

-11.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$11.76 MX$202

1.02%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$4.08 MX$70.0

-2.45%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.66 MX$28.53

-13.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$1.33 MX$22.90

-38.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$3.50 MX$60.1

-8.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$5.96 MX$102

13.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.87 MX$32.15

-10.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$3.11 MX$53.4

-29.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.04 MX$34.99

-16.18%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.91 MX$49.99

-5.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$12.45 MX$214

-23.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$10.27 MX$176

-12.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$15.55 MX$267

-17.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$3.35 MX$57.5

-13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.04 MX$35.00

-26.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.17 MX$37.26

-0.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.39 MX$41.07

-5.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.09 MX$35.83

-5.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.93 MX$33.20

3.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.56 MX$26.71

-21.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.37 MX$23.49

-12.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$5.38 MX$92.4

-15.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$17.31 MX$297

-40.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$2.09 MX$35.80

-22.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$4.53 MX$77.8

-36.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.78 MX$13.40

-23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$2.05 MX$35.22

162.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.59 MX$10.14

532.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$5.73 MX$98.4

0.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.40 MX$23.97

10.00%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$22.4K MX$385.0K

0.52%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$26.3K MX$451.0K

-0.83%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$65.3 MX$1,120

40.00%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$30.20 MX$518

-16.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$36.55 MX$627

-14.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$36.19 MX$621

85.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$23.86 MX$410

22.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$6.86 MX$118

-29.15%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$448 MX$7,698

-50.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$4,997 MX$85.8K

-15.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$73.8 MX$1,266

-36.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$56.1 MX$963

-21.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$114 MX$1,952

-29.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$120 MX$2,065

-22.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$723 MX$12.4K

46.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$442 MX$7,588

-11.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,031 MX$17.7K

108.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$801 MX$13.8K

58.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$1,940 MX$33.3K

106.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,233 MX$21.2K

427.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.3

1.33%

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 Tehuacan: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $723 in Tehuacan. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $53.0 in Tehuacan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $342 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Tehuacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tehuacan is pricier by about 5%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,003 in Tehuacan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,335 in Tehuacan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $448 in Tehuacan. 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 Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Tehuacan at $1,335. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tehuacan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tehuacan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.