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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,321 in Cucuta versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,076 in Cucuta versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,831 in Cucuta versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cucuta is roughly 2% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cucuta 4% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.05 COP 22.2K

$11.71 MX$199

-39.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.76 COP 128.6K

$46.59 MX$792

-12.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.7K

$11.65 MX$198

-19.14%

Cappuccino

$2.53 COP 7,987

$4.09 MX$69.6

-38.14%

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

$1.44 COP 4,533

$1.37 MX$23.35

5.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 COP 3,112

$0.83 MX$14.17

19.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 COP 8,179

$3.35 MX$57.0

-22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 COP 12.1K

$6.91 MX$117

-44.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,772

$1.73 MX$29.35

-12.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 COP 7,939

$2.26 MX$38.41

11.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,133

$1.77 MX$30.07

-7.91%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,896

$2.73 MX$46.43

3.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.07 COP 22.3K

$9.18 MX$156

-22.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.04 COP 34.8K

$8.92 MX$152

23.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 COP 39.9K

$12.60 MX$214

0.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 COP 11.5K

$3.02 MX$51.3

20.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,762

$1.57 MX$26.69

-3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 COP 5,952

$2.13 MX$36.12

-11.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 COP 5,927

$2.26 MX$38.48

-16.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 COP 4,535

$2.00 MX$34.05

-28.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,667

$2.06 MX$35.08

-28.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,791

$1.18 MX$20.05

1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 COP 3,464

$1.20 MX$20.46

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 COP 12.9K

$4.63 MX$78.8

-11.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 COP 43.8K

$10.69 MX$182

29.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,498

$1.62 MX$27.52

-11.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 COP 9,208

$2.88 MX$48.96

1.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,931

$0.57 MX$9.74

119.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 COP 4,856

$5.45 MX$92.6

-71.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 COP 6,688

$3.70 MX$63.0

-42.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.71 COP 30.7K

$5.98 MX$102

62.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,117

$1.55 MX$26.40

-16.13%

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

$23.3K COP 73.5M

$22.3K MX$379.4K

4.34%

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

$33.7K COP 106.3M

$25.9K MX$441.0K

29.85%

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

$108 COP 341.3K

$89.1 MX$1,515

21.36%

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

$15.01 COP 47.4K

$25.04 MX$426

-40.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.72 COP 87.5K

$31.50 MX$535

-12.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.59 COP 115.5K

$67.8 MX$1,152

-46.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

Cinema Ticket

$7.25 COP 22.9K

$5.05 MX$85.8

43.56%

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

$701 COP 2.2M

$225 MX$3,823

211.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,768 COP 21.4M

$4,222 MX$71.8K

60.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 COP 277.8K

$47.44 MX$806

85.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 COP 202.9K

$44.98 MX$764

42.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 COP 422.7K

$82.0 MX$1,393

63.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 COP 373.8K

$92.1 MX$1,565

28.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 COP 2.2M

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-35.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 COP 1.5M

$405 MX$6,888

19.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 COP 3.5M

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-43.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$964 COP 3.0M

$1,301 MX$22.1K

-25.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,887 COP 6.0M

$3,995 MX$67.9K

-52.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,648 COP 5.2M

$6,626 MX$112.6K

-75.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

11.45

1.14%

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

Last update for Cucuta: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Cucuta and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Cucuta vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $277, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,981 in Cucuta and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $687 in Cucuta versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $701 in Cucuta versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $41.00 in Cucuta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,321 in Cucuta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cucuta. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cucuta, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Cucuta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.