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 $1,709 per month in Cortona vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,560 per month in Cortona vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,411 per month in Cortona vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cortona costs about 36% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cortona sits 28% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.92 €12.09

$11.72 MX$203

18.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 €65.3

$41.89 MX$726

79.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €10.08

$10.51 MX$182

10.37%

Cappuccino

$1.75 €1.52

$3.59 MX$62.1

-51.25%

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

$2.53 €2.20

$1.51 MX$26.13

67.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.10

$0.92 MX$15.86

36.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 €5.10

$2.96 MX$51.2

98.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 €4.41

$4.41 MX$76.4

14.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.40 MX$24.19

20.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 €1.87

$1.88 MX$32.65

14.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 €2.70

$1.56 MX$27.01

99.36%

Eggs

$4.56 €3.96

$2.61 MX$45.20

74.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.35 €15.07

$8.32 MX$144

108.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.93 €10.37

$8.35 MX$145

42.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.44 €17.76

$10.86 MX$188

88.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.71 MX$47.00

-12.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €1.95

$1.51 MX$26.08

49.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.87 MX$32.46

7.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.32

$2.19 MX$37.94

21.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.86 MX$32.18

-3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.23 MX$38.64

-17.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.07 MX$18.51

17.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$1.09 MX$18.82

-49.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.06

$4.19 MX$72.5

66.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.34 €8.99

$10.43 MX$181

-0.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.66 MX$28.72

10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.41

$2.61 MX$45.26

6.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.54 MX$9.39

225.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.78 €37.17

$26.16 MX$453

63.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.58

$3.08 MX$53.3

71.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.23

$2.40 MX$41.66

-40.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.09 €29.62

$3.13 MX$54.2

989.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.31 MX$22.72

47.33%

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

$28.8K €25.0K

$29.8K MX$516.4K

-3.45%

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

$29.3K €25.4K

$23.3K MX$404.1K

25.51%

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

$219 €190

$81.3 MX$1,408

169.55%

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

$10.80 €9.38

$22.56 MX$391

-52.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.54 €26.54

$30.05 MX$521

1.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 €47.89

$52.9 MX$917

4.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.11 €20.08

$18.39 MX$319

25.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 €10.12

$4.92 MX$85.2

136.79%

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

$288 €250

$201 MX$3,479

43.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,259

$5,175 MX$89.7K

105.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 €65.1

$35.92 MX$622

108.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.38 €29.87

$40.13 MX$695

-14.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 €74.1

$79.7 MX$1,381

6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €107

$86.5 MX$1,498

41.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 €663

$978 MX$16.9K

-21.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 €510

$470 MX$8,152

24.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 €1,043

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-27.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €798

$1,203 MX$20.9K

-23.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 €2,050

$3,953 MX$68.5K

-40.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,846 €2,472

$6,607 MX$114.5K

-56.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,224 €2,801

$677 MX$11.7K

376.45%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $764 in Cortona versus $978 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 376% 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 $75.0 in Cortona versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 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: $1,709 in Cortona, $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 36% apart. Cortona costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,564 per month in Cortona and $1,890 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 64% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $288 per month in Cortona and $201 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 $1,260, than in Cortona at $1,709. 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen to $1,709 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.