Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,746 in Playa del Coco versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,752 in Playa del Coco versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,758 in Playa del Coco versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Playa del Coco is roughly 4% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Playa del Coco 27% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 ₡8,203

$12.14 MX$206

50.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 ₡26.2K

$53.9 MX$914

8.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 ₡5,284

$11.09 MX$188

6.49%

Cappuccino

$4.22 ₡1,889

$4.10 MX$69.5

2.93%

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

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.68 MX$28.53

54.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₡734

$1.39 MX$23.55

17.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 ₡1,606

$3.33 MX$56.5

7.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 ₡2,633

$5.88 MX$99.7

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,096

$1.85 MX$31.41

32.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 ₡1,276

$3.17 MX$53.8

-10.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 ₡1,129

$2.07 MX$35.13

21.74%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,578

$2.93 MX$49.67

20.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,812

$12.59 MX$214

-14.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,644

$10.11 MX$172

2.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 ₡6,268

$16.09 MX$273

-12.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 ₡2,260

$3.39 MX$57.5

48.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$2.08 MX$35.26

-20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 ₡1,535

$2.12 MX$35.97

61.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 ₡1,559

$2.41 MX$40.95

44.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 ₡1,359

$2.13 MX$36.11

42.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,444

$2.01 MX$34.02

60.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.55 MX$26.21

-27.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,241

$1.36 MX$23.15

103.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 ₡2,626

$5.77 MX$97.8

1.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.84 ₡7,539

$17.74 MX$301

-5.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,194

$2.07 MX$35.11

28.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₡1,217

$4.61 MX$78.3

-41.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ₡609

$0.37 MX$6.21

267.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 ₡1,488

$2.05 MX$34.84

62.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡729

$0.58 MX$9.79

181.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 ₡3,982

$6.07 MX$103

46.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 ₡917

$1.55 MX$26.34

32.26%

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

$22.2K ₡10.0M

$22.9K MX$388.1K

-2.79%

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

$35.5K ₡15.9M

$27.2K MX$462.0K

30.47%

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

$97.3 ₡43.6K

$67.4 MX$1,144

44.39%

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

$29.69 ₡13.3K

$30.62 MX$520

-3.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$37.24 MX$632

64.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 ₡33.2K

$61.5 MX$1,043

20.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$8.31 ₡3,718

$7.11 MX$121

16.88%

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

$864 ₡386.9K

$456 MX$7,739

89.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$13.7K MX$232.3K

25.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ₡31.8K

$74.2 MX$1,259

-4.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 ₡25.5K

$57.0 MX$967

-0.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.8K

$115 MX$1,958

13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.0K

$122 MX$2,061

10.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡355.4K

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-30.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 ₡282.5K

$709 MX$12.0K

-11.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ₡826.8K

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-28.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 ₡574.2K

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-0.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$332 ₡148.8K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-84.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$767 ₡343.4K

$1,082 MX$18.4K

-29.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

11.3

-22.30%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Coco: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $794 in Playa del Coco and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Playa del Coco vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $345 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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 Coco vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Coco and Mexico City differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,746 vs $1,677 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $794 in Playa del Coco versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $864 in Playa del Coco versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $59.0 in Playa del Coco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,746 in Playa del Coco, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Playa del Coco. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Playa del Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.