Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tlalnepantla

For one person, living is cheaper in Tlalnepantla: $1,111 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Playa del Carmen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Tlalnepantla
Learn more

Tlalnepantla Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Tlalnepantla

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,111

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Tlalnepantla

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Tlalnepantla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,111 in Tlalnepantla, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Tlalnepantla $1,111

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,935 in Tlalnepantla, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Tlalnepantla $1,935

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,760 in Tlalnepantla, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Tlalnepantla $2,760

Playa del Carmen costs about 8% more than Tlalnepantla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tlalnepantla are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Tlalnepantla 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$10.84 MX$200

0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$47.95 MX$886

-7.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$9.52 MX$176

23.53%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$3.59 MX$66.3

2.51%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.58 MX$29.12

-15.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.03 MX$19.12

-20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$3.30 MX$61.0

-7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$5.30 MX$98.0

-6.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.70 MX$31.34

-13.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$2.85 MX$52.6

-22.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.93 MX$35.66

-23.32%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.67 MX$49.27

-6.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$9.12 MX$168

-17.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$8.85 MX$163

-10.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$13.46 MX$249

-6.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$3.02 MX$55.8

-7.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.57 MX$28.99

-8.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.94 MX$35.85

35.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.88 MX$34.73

13.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.81 MX$33.47

11.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.73 MX$31.91

15.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.44 MX$26.54

-20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.23 MX$22.75

-2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$4.46 MX$82.5

-4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$16.23 MX$300

-38.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.87 MX$34.57

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$3.94 MX$72.8

-32.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.16 MX$21.49

-54.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$23.26 MX$430

18.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$3.28 MX$60.6

49.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.61 MX$29.81

113.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$5.56 MX$103

-3.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.44 MX$26.67

0.69%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$24.4K MX$450.8K

-13.27%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$23.2K MX$428.6K

-0.75%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$57.9 MX$1,070

47.38%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$27.62 MX$510

-15.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$33.55 MX$620

-15.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$36.45 MX$674

70.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$18.68 MX$345

53.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$6.36 MX$118

-19.81%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$267 MX$4,933

-24.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$4,929 MX$91.1K

-19.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$52.2 MX$964

-14.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$43.99 MX$813

-6.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$99.1 MX$1,832

-26.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$104 MX$1,930

-14.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$455 MX$8,403

115.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$276 MX$5,104

34.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$623 MX$11.5K

169.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$812 MX$15.0K

34.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$1,941 MX$35.9K

103.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,292 MX$23.9K

374.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$984 MX$18.2K

-25.05%

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: October 17, 2026

Last update for Tlalnepantla: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Tlalnepantla

$276 24.9% 25.9% $97

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Tlalnepantla

$297 26.7% 14.8% $38

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Tlalnepantla

$196 17.6% 2.2% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Tlalnepantla

$119 10.7% 13.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Tlalnepantla

$135 12.1% 20.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Tlalnepantla

$49 4.4% 32.1% $23

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Tlalnepantla

$39 3.5% 24.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $455 in Tlalnepantla. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 33% higher in Tlalnepantla, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $48.00 in Tlalnepantla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $297 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Tlalnepantla

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

653,410

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Tlalnepantla 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Tlalnepantla

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tlalnepantla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,666 in Tlalnepantla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tlalnepantla, 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,111 in Tlalnepantla. That's a gap of about 8%.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Tlalnepantla. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tlalnepantla, where all-in costs run around $1,111, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Tlalnepantla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tlalnepantla – 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 Tlalnepantla. 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.