Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Zamora de Hidalgo Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Zamora de Hidalgo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,151 in Zamora de Hidalgo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,775 in Zamora de Hidalgo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,399 in Zamora de Hidalgo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 12% more than Zamora de Hidalgo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Zamora de Hidalgo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Zamora de Hidalgo 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$8.01 MX$139

49.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$18.25 MX$318

134.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$8.05 MX$140

31.55%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$3.52 MX$61.2

2.84%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.26 MX$21.95

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$1.00 MX$17.42

-6.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.55 MX$26.94

99.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.69 MX$46.87

65.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.56 MX$27.14

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$2.65 MX$46.19

-29.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.96 MX$34.10

-16.84%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.31 MX$40.19

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$8.04 MX$140

2.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$9.77 MX$170

-15.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$13.19 MX$230

-15.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$3.70 MX$64.5

-28.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.45 MX$25.21

3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.91 MX$33.27

4.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.71 MX$29.82

21.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.71 MX$29.69

4.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.88 MX$32.78

15.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.29 MX$22.45

-16.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.16 MX$20.23

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$4.40 MX$76.5

-9.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$17.59 MX$306

-42.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.99 MX$34.66

-13.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$3.21 MX$55.9

-22.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.61 MX$10.62

-14.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$3.16 MX$55.0

-0.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.19 MX$20.78

101.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$9.44 MX$164

-67.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.32 MX$22.94

-3.79%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$20.1K MX$350.5K

53.31%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$20.2K MX$351.6K

15.37%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$62.7 MX$1,091

30.73%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$23.92 MX$416

-6.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$27.89 MX$485

6.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$36.57 MX$636

41.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$15.59 MX$271

19.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$5.88 MX$102

-15.48%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$317 MX$5,523

-37.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$4,784 MX$83.2K

10.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$51.3 MX$893

-29.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$43.24 MX$752

-7.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$99.7 MX$1,735

-19.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$98.4 MX$1,712

-9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$503 MX$8,754

91.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$389 MX$6,776

19.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$925 MX$16.1K

72.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$755 MX$13.1K

60.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,018 MX$35.1K

95.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,258 MX$21.9K

412.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.55

-1.13%

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 Zamora de Hidalgo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $503 in Zamora de Hidalgo. 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 $18.00 in Zamora de Hidalgo. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $295 in Zamora de Hidalgo – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Zamora de Hidalgo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 12%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,726 in Zamora de Hidalgo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zamora de Hidalgo, 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 $1,151 in Zamora de Hidalgo. 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 $317 in Zamora de Hidalgo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zamora de Hidalgo, where all-in costs run around $1,151, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Zamora de Hidalgo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zamora de Hidalgo – 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 Zamora de Hidalgo. 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.