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: $839 in Envigado versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,238 in Envigado versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,638 in Envigado versus $2,980 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 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 COP 14.4K

$11.87 MX$207

-66.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.83 COP 85.0K

$42.90 MX$749

-44.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 COP 26.6K

$10.65 MX$186

-30.05%

Cappuccino

$1.51 COP 5,396

$3.45 MX$60.2

-56.23%

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

$0.87 COP 3,096

$1.50 MX$26.24

-42.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 COP 2,197

$0.95 MX$16.56

-34.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 COP 4,308

$3.03 MX$52.8

-60.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 COP 7,729

$4.61 MX$80.4

-52.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 COP 4,029

$1.38 MX$24.01

-18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 COP 4,550

$1.85 MX$32.24

-30.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,086

$1.61 MX$28.11

-28.57%

Eggs

$2.23 COP 7,938

$2.59 MX$45.26

-13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.38 COP 15.6K

$8.26 MX$144

-46.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 COP 19.0K

$8.37 MX$146

-36.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 COP 26.0K

$10.66 MX$186

-31.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 COP 9,077

$2.63 MX$45.89

-3.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,832

$1.49 MX$25.96

-28.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 COP 4,614

$1.92 MX$33.50

-32.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 COP 3,289

$2.09 MX$36.41

-55.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 COP 3,980

$1.86 MX$32.42

-39.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,178

$2.26 MX$39.47

-48.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,957

$1.06 MX$18.54

-21.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 COP 2,461

$1.09 MX$18.98

-36.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 COP 8,207

$4.15 MX$72.4

-44.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 COP 39.0K

$10.39 MX$181

5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 COP 4,038

$1.72 MX$30.09

-34.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 6,084

$2.61 MX$45.60

-34.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 COP 2,436

$0.54 MX$9.46

25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.57 COP 105.5K

$26.94 MX$470

9.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,233

$3.13 MX$54.6

-53.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 COP 6,067

$2.51 MX$43.82

-32.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$3.15 MX$55.0

90.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 COP 2,852

$1.27 MX$22.25

-37.01%

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

$17.9K COP 63.8M

$30.4K MX$530.1K

-41.14%

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

$25.5K COP 91.1M

$23.6K MX$411.3K

8.34%

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

$97.4 COP 347.5K

$83.0 MX$1,449

17.39%

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

$11.29 COP 40.3K

$22.71 MX$396

-50.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.18 COP 89.8K

$29.46 MX$514

-14.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.08 COP 82.3K

$51.0 MX$890

-54.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$4.02 COP 14.4K

$4.93 MX$86.0

-18.46%

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

$242 COP 862.5K

$197 MX$3,444

22.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,920 COP 21.1M

$5,280 MX$92.1K

12.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 COP 213.6K

$36.90 MX$644

62.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 COP 115.2K

$39.89 MX$696

-19.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 COP 301.5K

$80.0 MX$1,396

5.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.3 COP 257.7K

$89.5 MX$1,561

-19.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 COP 948.3K

$956 MX$16.7K

-72.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 COP 858.8K

$477 MX$8,327

-49.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 COP 2.4M

$1,646 MX$28.7K

-59.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 COP 1.5M

$1,225 MX$21.4K

-64.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,620 COP 5.8M

$3,918 MX$68.4K

-58.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,216 COP 4.3M

$6,459 MX$112.7K

-81.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $266 in Envigado and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Envigado vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $250 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 $1,259 in Envigado and $1,906 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: $266 in Envigado versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $839 in Envigado versus $1,271 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 $839 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.