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: $1,745 in Playa del Coco versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,665 in Playa del Coco versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,585 in Playa del Coco versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Playa del Coco is roughly 21% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Playa del Coco 30% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.89 ₡7,180

$12.98 MX$223

22.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 ₡36.6K

$52.6 MX$903

53.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 ₡4,582

$9.43 MX$162

7.53%

Cappuccino

$6.98 ₡3,155

$3.57 MX$61.3

95.52%

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

$2.37 ₡1,072

$1.61 MX$27.55

47.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ₡849

$1.15 MX$19.81

63.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 ₡1,443

$3.15 MX$54.0

1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 ₡2,702

$4.86 MX$83.4

23.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 ₡1,153

$1.70 MX$29.17

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 ₡1,294

$2.64 MX$45.23

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ₡971

$1.90 MX$32.67

13.16%

Eggs

$2.89 ₡1,305

$2.54 MX$43.62

13.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 ₡3,889

$10.08 MX$173

-14.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.14 ₡5,938

$8.29 MX$142

58.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.79 ₡6,232

$11.57 MX$199

19.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 ₡2,024

$3.03 MX$52.0

47.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₡654

$1.71 MX$29.35

-15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 ₡1,912

$2.05 MX$35.16

106.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡748

$2.06 MX$35.36

-19.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 ₡1,512

$2.06 MX$35.43

62.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,385

$2.17 MX$37.25

41.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡458

$1.40 MX$24.08

-27.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,307

$1.12 MX$19.26

158.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.87 ₡2,201

$4.29 MX$73.7

13.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.62 ₡7,510

$15.41 MX$265

7.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₡939

$1.67 MX$28.74

24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 ₡1,163

$3.69 MX$63.3

-30.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₡522

$0.38 MX$6.55

202.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 ₡1,311

$1.38 MX$23.70

110.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 ₡799

$0.28 MX$4.74

532.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.87 ₡3,555

$5.42 MX$92.9

45.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 ₡865

$1.28 MX$21.98

49.22%

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

$19.0K MX$325.8K

97.06%

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

$32.9K ₡14.9M

$23.5K MX$402.7K

40.41%

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

$175 ₡79.2K

$41.02 MX$704

327.18%

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

$25.51 ₡11.5K

$26.92 MX$462

-5.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 ₡27.5K

$29.69 MX$510

104.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 ₡25.3K

$52.3 MX$898

7.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.00 ₡10.8K

$26.23 MX$450

-8.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.71 ₡4,389

$6.18 MX$106

57.12%

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

$521 ₡235.3K

$427 MX$7,331

21.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ₡5.8M

$10.7K MX$183.6K

19.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 ₡28.0K

$56.8 MX$975

9.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 ₡23.5K

$44.83 MX$769

16.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ₡55.9K

$105 MX$1,794

18.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡48.4K

$106 MX$1,819

1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 ₡340.5K

$995 MX$17.1K

-24.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 ₡269.9K

$621 MX$10.7K

-3.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 ₡684.1K

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-28.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 ₡429.1K

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-24.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$331 ₡149.6K

$2,096 MX$36.0K

-84.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$751 ₡339.3K

$1,107 MX$19.0K

-32.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

11.34

-10.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Coco: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $754 in Playa del Coco and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Playa del Coco vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 vs $288 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 21% in total monthly costs ($1,745 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 47% less. 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: $754 in Playa del Coco versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $521 in Playa del Coco versus $427 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 $53.0 versus $81.0 in Playa del Coco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,745 in Playa del Coco, a $2,000 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 21% less than in Playa del Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.