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: $818 in Envigado versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in Envigado versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,683 in Envigado versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Envigado costs roughly 35% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Envigado 39% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 COP 12.6K

$11.95 MX$209

-67.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.07 COP 77.4K

$41.94 MX$733

-42.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 23.6K

$10.42 MX$182

-29.75%

Cappuccino

$1.56 COP 5,026

$3.51 MX$61.4

-55.56%

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

$0.87 COP 2,813

$1.52 MX$26.50

-42.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 COP 1,820

$0.91 MX$15.91

-37.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 COP 3,701

$3.04 MX$53.1

-62.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 COP 6,976

$4.37 MX$76.4

-50.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 COP 3,792

$1.42 MX$24.84

-16.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 COP 3,989

$1.83 MX$32.00

-32.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 COP 3,825

$1.63 MX$28.57

-26.99%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 6,956

$2.54 MX$44.38

-14.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.45 COP 14.3K

$8.57 MX$150

-48.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.15 COP 16.6K

$8.49 MX$148

-39.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 COP 23.2K

$10.80 MX$189

-33.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 COP 8,188

$2.75 MX$48.14

-7.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,565

$1.44 MX$25.10

-22.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,370

$1.89 MX$32.97

-28.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 COP 2,796

$2.17 MX$37.93

-59.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 3,745

$1.78 MX$31.10

-34.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,629

$2.22 MX$38.87

-49.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 COP 2,828

$1.07 MX$18.68

-17.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 COP 2,257

$1.08 MX$18.87

-35.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 COP 7,636

$4.15 MX$72.5

-42.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 COP 34.1K

$10.45 MX$183

1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 COP 3,631

$1.74 MX$30.47

-35.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,667

$2.58 MX$45.11

-31.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 COP 2,286

$0.51 MX$8.97

39.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.06 COP 96.7K

$25.94 MX$453

15.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 COP 4,601

$3.21 MX$56.1

-55.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 COP 5,511

$2.50 MX$43.73

-31.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 COP 19.4K

$3.19 MX$55.7

89.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 COP 2,780

$1.26 MX$21.96

-31.75%

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

$18.2K COP 58.6M

$29.7K MX$518.8K

-38.65%

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

$25.1K COP 80.8M

$23.7K MX$413.9K

6.06%

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

$96.6 COP 310.7K

$82.0 MX$1,434

17.70%

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

$11.30 COP 36.4K

$22.73 MX$397

-50.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.91 COP 83.4K

$29.42 MX$514

-11.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.77 COP 76.5K

$52.2 MX$912

-54.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

Cinema Ticket

$3.96 COP 12.7K

$4.93 MX$86.2

-19.68%

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

$237 COP 762.6K

$202 MX$3,526

17.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,842 COP 18.8M

$5,217 MX$91.2K

11.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 COP 193.3K

$35.93 MX$628

67.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.22 COP 106.9K

$40.33 MX$705

-17.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 COP 268.6K

$79.9 MX$1,396

4.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 COP 236.9K

$89.3 MX$1,561

-17.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 COP 850.7K

$948 MX$16.6K

-72.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 COP 757.2K

$465 MX$8,132

-49.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.1M

$1,630 MX$28.5K

-59.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 COP 1.4M

$1,193 MX$20.8K

-64.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,125 COP 3.6M

$3,933 MX$68.7K

-71.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,756 COP 5.6M

$6,428 MX$112.3K

-72.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $264 in Envigado and $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Envigado vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 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 54% 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 $1,227 in Envigado and $1,888 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 $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% 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 $818 in Envigado versus $1,259 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 $818 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 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.