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 $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $996 in Tehuacan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,571 in Tehuacan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,146 in Tehuacan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 27% more than Tehuacan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tehuacan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Tehuacan 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$4.74 MX$82.1

146.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$26.75 MX$464

56.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$5.41 MX$93.7

92.24%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.66 MX$46.08

35.71%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.33 MX$23.07

10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.77 MX$13.36

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.77 MX$30.62

71.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$3.78 MX$65.5

18.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.46 MX$25.35

-5.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$1.68 MX$29.05

9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.38 MX$23.86

16.67%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$1.69 MX$29.27

52.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$6.39 MX$111

32.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$6.09 MX$106

39.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$9.48 MX$164

15.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.13 MX$36.95

28.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.28 MX$22.18

17.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.62 MX$28.15

20.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.62 MX$28.04

30.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$2.05 MX$35.47

-9.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.45 MX$25.05

49.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.98 MX$16.92

9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.66 MX$11.37

59.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$4.12 MX$71.3

1.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$14.40 MX$250

-28.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$0.66 MX$11.44

153.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$1.08 MX$18.67

130.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.60 MX$10.38

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.37 MX$23.78

126.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.30 MX$5.27

720.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$5.44 MX$94.4

-40.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.25 MX$21.62

0.80%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$18.7K MX$324.0K

61.37%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$23.0K MX$399.0K

1.82%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$40.91 MX$709

105.30%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$26.82 MX$465

-17.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$20.56 MX$356

44.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$36.51 MX$633

44.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$16.13 MX$280

13.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$4.18 MX$72.4

18.42%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$437 MX$7,573

-54.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$3,616 MX$62.7K

47.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$57.0 MX$988

-36.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$45.96 MX$796

-12.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$102 MX$1,771

-22.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$108 MX$1,873

-19.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$508 MX$8,798

92.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$400 MX$6,939

17.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$941 MX$16.3K

69.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$750 MX$13.0K

62.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$2,010 MX$34.8K

100.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,281 MX$22.2K

413.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.34

0.71%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Tehuacan: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $508 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 $42 in Playa del Carmen versus $27 in Tehuacan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $210 – making Tehuacan 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 – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 27%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,495 in Tehuacan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tehuacan, 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 $1,261 in Playa del Carmen and $996 in Tehuacan. 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 $437 in Tehuacan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tehuacan, where all-in costs run around $996, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In Tehuacan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tehuacan – 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 Tehuacan. 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.