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: $1,738 in Playa del Coco versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,678 in Playa del Coco versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,617 in Playa del Coco versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Playa del Coco is roughly 19% 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 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.15 ₡7,356

$13.30 MX$231

21.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 ₡35.6K

$53.8 MX$932

45.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 ₡4,582

$9.42 MX$163

6.79%

Cappuccino

$6.97 ₡3,176

$3.59 MX$62.3

94.15%

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

$2.35 ₡1,071

$1.62 MX$28.13

45.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₡840

$1.12 MX$19.49

65.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 ₡1,434

$3.25 MX$56.3

-3.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 ₡2,709

$4.65 MX$80.6

27.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 ₡1,166

$1.64 MX$28.37

56.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 ₡1,324

$2.65 MX$46.00

9.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ₡1,014

$1.96 MX$33.99

13.78%

Eggs

$2.89 ₡1,316

$2.54 MX$44.08

13.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.52 ₡3,879

$9.97 MX$173

-14.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 ₡5,929

$8.39 MX$145

55.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,261

$11.83 MX$205

16.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 ₡2,082

$2.86 MX$49.62

59.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₡661

$1.73 MX$30.05

-16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 ₡1,921

$1.99 MX$34.50

112.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ₡725

$2.05 MX$35.51

-22.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 ₡1,513

$2.06 MX$35.64

61.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 ₡1,344

$2.28 MX$39.54

29.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₡472

$1.45 MX$25.05

-28.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₡1,337

$1.09 MX$18.83

169.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₡2,248

$4.27 MX$73.9

15.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.80 ₡7,649

$14.67 MX$254

14.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₡962

$1.76 MX$30.58

19.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,189

$3.57 MX$61.8

-26.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 ₡532

$0.38 MX$6.67

207.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 ₡1,345

$1.39 MX$24.09

112.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡838

$0.30 MX$5.26

513.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 ₡3,524

$5.41 MX$93.8

43.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 ₡852

$1.34 MX$23.22

39.55%

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

$38.4K ₡17.5M

$18.9K MX$326.7K

103.49%

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

$32.9K ₡15.0M

$23.2K MX$402.0K

41.88%

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

$172 ₡78.5K

$40.30 MX$698

327.54%

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

$25.56 ₡11.6K

$27.15 MX$471

-5.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.9K

$29.46 MX$510

100.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 ₡25.8K

$52.7 MX$914

7.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.61 ₡10.8K

$26.17 MX$454

-9.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 ₡4,631

$6.18 MX$107

64.56%

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

$521 ₡237.1K

$441 MX$7,637

18.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ₡5.7M

$10.7K MX$185.4K

17.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ₡28.1K

$57.2 MX$992

7.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 ₡23.4K

$45.04 MX$781

13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 ₡56.7K

$103 MX$1,793

20.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡49.3K

$109 MX$1,884

-0.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$772 ₡351.5K

$1,000 MX$17.3K

-22.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₡268.0K

$632 MX$11.0K

-6.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 ₡686.8K

$2,141 MX$37.1K

-29.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 ₡433.0K

$1,253 MX$21.7K

-24.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$324 ₡147.4K

$2,381 MX$41.3K

-86.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₡344.9K

$1,079 MX$18.7K

-29.82%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $772 in Playa del Coco and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78 in Playa del Coco vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $286 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 19% in total monthly costs ($1,738 vs $1,466 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 42% 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: $772 in Playa del Coco versus $1,000 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 $441 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 $78.0 in Playa del Coco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,738 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 19% less than in Playa del Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.