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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $835 in Envigado versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,250 in Envigado versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,665 in Envigado versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Envigado costs roughly 34% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Envigado 38% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.04 COP 14.4K

$11.67 MX$202

-65.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.55 COP 84.3K

$41.88 MX$726

-43.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.4K

$10.40 MX$180

-31.83%

Cappuccino

$1.51 COP 5,396

$3.61 MX$62.6

-58.17%

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

$0.92 COP 3,298

$1.47 MX$25.45

-37.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 COP 2,207

$0.91 MX$15.80

-31.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 COP 4,262

$3.03 MX$52.6

-60.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 COP 7,584

$4.47 MX$77.4

-52.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 COP 3,992

$1.38 MX$23.83

-18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,633

$1.84 MX$31.93

-29.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,224

$1.61 MX$27.82

-26.71%

Eggs

$2.14 COP 7,650

$2.57 MX$44.52

-16.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.32 COP 15.5K

$8.49 MX$147

-49.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.21 COP 18.6K

$8.49 MX$147

-38.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 COP 26.5K

$10.99 MX$190

-32.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 COP 8,766

$2.73 MX$47.25

-10.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,857

$1.50 MX$25.92

-28.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,717

$1.96 MX$33.93

-32.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 COP 3,307

$2.12 MX$36.70

-56.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,967

$1.86 MX$32.30

-40.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,033

$2.17 MX$37.67

-47.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 COP 3,131

$1.07 MX$18.59

-18.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 COP 2,321

$1.05 MX$18.18

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 COP 8,553

$4.19 MX$72.6

-42.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 COP 37.2K

$10.28 MX$178

1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 4,068

$1.67 MX$28.87

-31.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 COP 6,196

$2.49 MX$43.12

-30.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 COP 2,440

$0.54 MX$9.37

25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.54 COP 105.7K

$26.27 MX$455

12.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 COP 5,324

$3.10 MX$53.8

-51.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 COP 6,145

$2.46 MX$42.66

-30.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 COP 22.0K

$3.24 MX$56.1

89.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 COP 2,864

$1.26 MX$21.83

-36.51%

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

$17.7K COP 63.5M

$30.2K MX$522.8K

-41.22%

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

$25.4K COP 91.0M

$23.4K MX$406.3K

8.43%

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

$97.7 COP 349.6K

$84.0 MX$1,456

16.29%

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

$11.37 COP 40.7K

$22.21 MX$385

-48.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.80 COP 92.3K

$29.65 MX$514

-12.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.39 COP 83.7K

$52.6 MX$912

-55.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 COP 14.4K

$4.95 MX$85.7

-18.38%

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

$237 COP 848.5K

$198 MX$3,438

19.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,021 COP 21.5M

$5,322 MX$92.2K

13.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.0K

$35.95 MX$623

63.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.22 COP 115.3K

$40.06 MX$694

-19.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 COP 296.8K

$78.8 MX$1,365

5.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 COP 260.3K

$86.5 MX$1,499

-15.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 COP 945.1K

$977 MX$16.9K

-72.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 COP 862.1K

$471 MX$8,158

-48.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.3M

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-59.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 COP 1.5M

$1,215 MX$21.1K

-64.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,652 COP 5.9M

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-59.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,354 COP 4.8M

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-79.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.18

11.42

15.41%

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

Last update for Envigado: April 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $264 in Envigado and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24 in Envigado vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $252 per month, with Envigado 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

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

Envigado wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Envigado the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,253 in Envigado and $1,891 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: $264 in Envigado versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Envigado – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $835 in Envigado versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Envigado but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Envigado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Envigado delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Envigado hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Envigado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.