Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Zihuatanejo Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Zihuatanejo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,201 in Zihuatanejo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,963 in Zihuatanejo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,725 in Zihuatanejo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 8% more than Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Zihuatanejo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Zihuatanejo 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$12.01 MX$203

-2.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$44.46 MX$750

4.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$8.38 MX$141

39.02%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$4.13 MX$69.8

-0.97%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$1.63 MX$27.51

-15.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$1.17 MX$19.79

-29.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$2.82 MX$47.51

18.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$4.69 MX$79.2

47.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.73 MX$29.18

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$2.80 MX$47.18

-19.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$1.59 MX$26.77

11.32%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$2.52 MX$42.49

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$7.55 MX$127

21.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$7.69 MX$130

15.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$11.38 MX$192

10.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$2.51 MX$42.35

20.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$1.61 MX$27.17

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$1.91 MX$32.15

11.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$1.96 MX$33.15

15.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$1.82 MX$30.66

9.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$1.80 MX$30.31

14.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$1.35 MX$22.77

-12.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$1.26 MX$21.20

-4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$4.59 MX$77.4

0.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$11.92 MX$201

-10.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$2.00 MX$33.73

-19.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$3.01 MX$50.8

-4.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.72 MX$12.21

-20.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$2.52 MX$42.50

116.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$2.08 MX$35.03

77.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$10.73 MX$181

-44.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.44 MX$24.22

7.64%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$19.7K MX$332.8K

13.23%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$27.5K MX$463.9K

-5.59%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$61.9 MX$1,044

44.11%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$24.29 MX$410

3.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$32.42 MX$547

-2.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$33.58 MX$567

101.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$23.82 MX$402

21.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$5.90 MX$99.6

-14.41%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$235 MX$3,965

-4.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$4,285 MX$72.3K

-1.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$53.6 MX$904

-11.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$45.86 MX$774

-1.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$100 MX$1,690

-18.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$105 MX$1,770

-12.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$627 MX$10.6K

70.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$440 MX$7,429

-7.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,117 MX$18.8K

73.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$769 MX$13.0K

69.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$2,206 MX$37.2K

81.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$1,158 MX$19.5K

472.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $627 in Zihuatanejo. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $44.00 in Zihuatanejo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $266 – making Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 8%, 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 $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,801 in Zihuatanejo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zihuatanejo, 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 $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $1,201 in Zihuatanejo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $235 in Zihuatanejo. 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 Zihuatanejo, where all-in costs run around $1,201, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Zihuatanejo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zihuatanejo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Zihuatanejo. 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.