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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,658 per month in Cortona vs $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,523 per month in Cortona vs $2,130 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Cortona vs $2,999 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cortona costs about 32% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cortona sits 24% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 €11.73

$11.67 MX$202

18.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 €62.8

$41.88 MX$725

76.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 €9.81

$10.40 MX$180

11.06%

Cappuccino

$1.77 €1.50

$3.61 MX$62.6

-50.97%

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

$2.49 €2.12

$1.47 MX$25.44

69.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.09

$0.91 MX$15.79

40.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €4.87

$3.03 MX$52.5

89.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.44

$4.47 MX$77.4

17.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.38 MX$23.82

26.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.84

$1.84 MX$31.91

17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.50

$1.61 MX$27.80

83.23%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.83

$2.57 MX$44.49

75.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.54 €14.90

$8.49 MX$147

106.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.10 €10.27

$8.49 MX$147

42.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 €17.32

$10.99 MX$190

85.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.05

$2.73 MX$47.23

-11.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €1.98

$1.50 MX$25.90

55.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.65

$1.96 MX$33.91

-1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.29

$2.12 MX$36.68

27.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.47

$1.86 MX$32.28

-6.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.56

$2.17 MX$37.65

-15.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.07

$1.07 MX$18.58

17.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.47

$1.05 MX$18.17

-47.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €5.85

$4.19 MX$72.6

64.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.58 €7.29

$10.28 MX$178

-16.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.57

$1.67 MX$28.85

10.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.33

$2.49 MX$43.09

10.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.50

$0.54 MX$9.37

227.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.95 €37.31

$26.27 MX$455

67.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 €4.56

$3.10 MX$53.8

73.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 €1.24

$2.46 MX$42.64

-40.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.78 €29.53

$3.24 MX$56.0

973.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.65

$1.26 MX$21.82

54.76%

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

$29.2K €24.8K

$30.2K MX$522.5K

-3.32%

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

$29.4K €25.0K

$23.4K MX$406.1K

25.44%

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

$226 €192

$84.0 MX$1,455

168.67%

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

$11.07 €9.40

$22.21 MX$385

-50.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.56 €26.80

$29.65 MX$514

6.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 €45.75

$52.6 MX$912

2.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 €19.36

$18.34 MX$318

24.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.76 €9.98

$4.95 MX$85.7

137.58%

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

$290 €246

$198 MX$3,436

45.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €8,907

$5,322 MX$92.2K

97.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 €62.4

$35.95 MX$623

104.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.44 €30.09

$40.06 MX$694

-11.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 €71.9

$78.8 MX$1,365

7.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €102

$86.5 MX$1,498

38.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 €641

$977 MX$16.9K

-22.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 €497

$471 MX$8,153

24.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,011

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-25.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 €801

$1,215 MX$21.0K

-22.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,422 €2,056

$4,032 MX$69.8K

-39.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$113.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,732 €2,319

$714 MX$12.4K

282.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

11.42

-65.41%

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

Last update for Cortona: April 22, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $755 in Cortona versus $977 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.

Salaries run about 283% higher in Cortona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Cortona versus $42 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $252 – 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,658 in Cortona, $1,261 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 32% apart. Cortona costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,487 per month in Cortona and $1,891 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.

Public transport costs about 67% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $290 per month in Cortona and $198 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 $1,261, than in Cortona at $1,658. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cortona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,261 in Playa del Carmen to $1,658 in Cortona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cortona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.