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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,325 per month in Tehuacan vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,178 per month in Tehuacan vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,030 per month in Tehuacan vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tehuacan costs about 2% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Tehuacan and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Tehuacan 4% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.2 MX$898

$46.59 MX$786

14.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 MX$187

$11.65 MX$197

-4.89%

Cappuccino

$4.06 MX$68.5

$4.09 MX$69.1

-0.73%

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

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.37 MX$23.20

26.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.27

$0.83 MX$14.07

59.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.5

$3.35 MX$56.6

3.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 MX$99.8

$6.91 MX$117

-14.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$31.93

$1.73 MX$29.15

9.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 MX$55.7

$2.26 MX$38.15

46.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$34.90

$1.77 MX$29.86

16.95%

Eggs

$3.06 MX$51.6

$2.73 MX$46.12

12.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.79 MX$216

$9.18 MX$155

39.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.21 MX$172

$8.92 MX$151

14.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.18 MX$273

$12.60 MX$213

28.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 MX$56.7

$3.02 MX$51.0

11.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 MX$35.58

$1.57 MX$26.51

34.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 MX$36.76

$2.13 MX$35.88

2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.38

$2.26 MX$38.22

8.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$36.48

$2.00 MX$33.82

8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 MX$33.19

$2.06 MX$34.85

-4.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 MX$27.02

$1.18 MX$19.91

35.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 MX$23.12

$1.20 MX$20.32

14.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.50 MX$92.8

$4.63 MX$78.2

18.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.32 MX$292

$10.69 MX$180

62.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 MX$35.79

$1.62 MX$27.33

30.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MX$79.8

$2.88 MX$48.63

64.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$10.85

$0.57 MX$9.68

12.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 MX$35.34

$5.45 MX$91.9

-61.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.47

$3.70 MX$62.5

-84.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 MX$102

$5.98 MX$101

0.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MX$23.52

$1.55 MX$26.22

-10.32%

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

$22.9K MX$386.2K

$22.3K MX$376.8K

2.47%

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

$26.6K MX$449.0K

$25.9K MX$438.0K

2.52%

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

$65.1 MX$1,099

$89.1 MX$1,504

-26.97%

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

$30.13 MX$509

$25.04 MX$423

20.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.27 MX$629

$31.50 MX$532

18.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.25 MX$561

$67.8 MX$1,144

-50.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.13 MX$390

$28.92 MX$488

-20.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 MX$122

$5.05 MX$85.2

42.77%

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

$457 MX$7,718

$225 MX$3,797

103.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,995 MX$84.3K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

18.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 MX$1,269

$47.44 MX$801

58.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 MX$954

$44.98 MX$759

25.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,961

$82.0 MX$1,384

41.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,083

$92.1 MX$1,555

33.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 MX$11.5K

$1,069 MX$18.0K

-36.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 MX$7,610

$405 MX$6,842

11.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.0K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-35.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$886 MX$15.0K

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-31.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,963 MX$33.1K

$3,995 MX$67.4K

-50.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,250 MX$21.1K

$6,626 MX$111.8K

-81.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.45

-1.31%

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

Last update for Tehuacan: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $682 in Tehuacan versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $53.0 in Tehuacan versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $277 – making Playa del Carmen 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

Tehuacan vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tehuacan is pricier by about 2%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,988 per month in Tehuacan and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,325 in Tehuacan and $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $457 per month in Tehuacan and $225 in Playa del Carmen. 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 Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Tehuacan at $1,325. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tehuacan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tehuacan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.