Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,089 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,735 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,381 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$10.65 MX$186

12.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$38.40 MX$672

11.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.79 MX$136

35.94%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.24 MX$56.8

11.73%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.37 MX$24.01

7.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.87 MX$15.22

8.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.15 MX$37.66

43.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.78 MX$66.1

17.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.40 MX$24.53

2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.56 MX$44.81

-26.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.52 MX$26.55

7.24%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.43 MX$42.57

8.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$9.51 MX$166

-13.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.82 MX$137

6.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$9.87 MX$173

12.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.45 MX$42.89

8.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.46 MX$25.48

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.36 MX$23.75

46.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.36 MX$23.76

52.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.55 MX$27.06

15.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.09 MX$19.04

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.38 MX$24.07

-21.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.03 MX$17.98

0.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.35 MX$76.2

-8.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$10.42 MX$182

-2.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.55 MX$27.15

11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.25 MX$56.9

-23.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.61 MX$10.73

-14.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.68 MX$46.84

17.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.55 MX$27.06

54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$11.85 MX$207

-73.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.31 MX$23.00

-3.05%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$23.7K MX$415.3K

30.11%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$23.6K MX$413.0K

-1.21%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$31.35 MX$549

161.59%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$24.25 MX$424

-7.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$21.28 MX$372

39.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$36.38 MX$637

42.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$16.06 MX$281

16.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$3.08 MX$53.9

61.36%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$187 MX$3,265

6.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$6,258 MX$109.5K

-15.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$49.56 MX$867

-26.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$42.68 MX$747

-6.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$99.2 MX$1,736

-19.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$79.4 MX$1,390

11.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$506 MX$8,861

90.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$403 MX$7,060

15.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$937 MX$16.4K

70.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$764 MX$13.4K

58.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,152 MX$37.7K

83.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,424 MX$24.9K

352.67%

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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $506 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. 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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $246 – making Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 18%, 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 $1,634 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, 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 $1,089 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. 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 $187 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. 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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, where all-in costs run around $1,089, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Tlajomulco de Zúñiga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tlajomulco de Zúñiga – 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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. 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.