Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Torreon

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Torreon: $1,204 and $1,187 a month, rent and utilities included.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Torreon
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,187
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Torreon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,187 in Torreon, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Torreon $1,187

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,900 in Torreon, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,102
  • Torreon $1,900

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,614 in Torreon, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,000
  • Torreon $2,614

Playa del Carmen costs about 1% more than Torreon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Torreon are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Torreon 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Torreon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$201
$10.75 MX$199
1.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.21 MX$817
$43.10 MX$797
2.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 MX$217
$10.02 MX$185
17.37%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.0
$3.19 MX$59.0
15.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 MX$24.79
$1.73 MX$31.95
-22.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$15.24
$1.24 MX$22.95
-33.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 MX$56.6
$2.13 MX$39.41
43.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MX$91.2
$4.39 MX$81.2
12.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Torreon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.74 MX$32.21
-15.52%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$40.95
$3.08 MX$56.9
-27.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.32
$2.21 MX$40.83
-33.03%
Eggs
$2.49 MX$45.99
$2.61 MX$48.22
-4.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 MX$139
$10.09 MX$186
-25.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 MX$147
$8.57 MX$158
-7.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$232
$11.61 MX$214
8.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.3
$2.86 MX$52.9
-2.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$1.71 MX$31.61
-16.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 MX$48.37
$2.20 MX$40.66
19.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.49
$2.51 MX$46.33
-14.74%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.38
$2.32 MX$42.81
-12.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.74
$2.15 MX$39.81
-7.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.01
$1.43 MX$26.51
-20.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$22.18
$1.29 MX$23.87
-6.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.7
$4.17 MX$77.0
2.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 MX$185
$10.64 MX$197
-5.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.41
$2.11 MX$38.97
-27.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 MX$49.17
$3.94 MX$72.8
-32.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Torreon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 MX$9.73
$0.78 MX$14.32
-32.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.51 MX$508
$32.30 MX$597
-14.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 MX$90.6
$1.91 MX$35.36
156.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.43 MX$63.5
$0.89 MX$16.36
285.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 MX$99.4
$10.06 MX$186
-46.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$26.76
$1.43 MX$26.47
1.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$391.0K
$25.3K MX$467.4K
-16.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K MX$425.3K
$27.0K MX$499.8K
-14.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Torreon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.4 MX$1,577
$75.0 MX$1,387
13.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.46 MX$434
$40.21 MX$743
-41.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.43 MX$525
$29.38 MX$543
-3.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Torreon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.2 MX$1,149
$64.5 MX$1,193
-3.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.68 MX$530
$21.54 MX$398
33.15%
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 MX$94.3
$4.86 MX$89.9
4.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Torreon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,715
$289 MX$5,348
-30.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,947 MX$72.9K
$2,710 MX$50.1K
45.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Torreon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.39 MX$820
$66.5 MX$1,229
-33.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 MX$764
$48.47 MX$896
-14.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 MX$1,344
$103 MX$1,898
-29.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 MX$1,656
$96.8 MX$1,788
-7.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Torreon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 MX$18.1K
$458 MX$8,471
113.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 MX$6,887
$305 MX$5,641
22.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,681 MX$31.1K
$757 MX$14.0K
122.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MX$20.2K
$600 MX$11.1K
82.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,949 MX$73.0K
$1,609 MX$29.7K
145.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,137 MX$113.4K
$1,261 MX$23.3K
386.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Torreon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 MX$13.6K
$826 MX$15.3K
-10.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
12.87
-11.03%

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 Torreon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$373
Torreon
$305 18.1% $67
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Torreon
$294 13.6% $35
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Torreon
$186 7.2% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Torreon
$145 5.4% $7.4
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Torreon
$142 26.8% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$72
Torreon
$74 2.6% $1.9
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Torreon
$42 19.2% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $458 in Torreon. 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 12% higher in Torreon, 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 $43.00 in Torreon. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Playa del Carmen vs $294 in Torreon – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Torreon
🕒 Local time
05:19 5:19 AM
04:19 4:19 AM
1 h behind Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
690,193
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Torreon 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Torreon

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 Torreon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Torreon cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,780 in Torreon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Torreon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Torreon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,187 in Torreon. That's a gap of about 1%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 17% less in Torreon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Torreon?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Torreon, where all-in costs run around $1,187, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Torreon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Torreon more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Torreon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Torreon. 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.

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