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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,137 per month in Koura vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,747 per month in Koura vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,357 per month in Koura vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Koura is about 9% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Koura and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Koura 15% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.94 LBP 979.3K

$11.99 MX$210

-8.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 LBP 5.5M

$41.78 MX$733

45.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 LBP 712.2K

$10.75 MX$189

-25.95%

Cappuccino

$3.29 LBP 294.4K

$3.50 MX$61.3

-6.00%

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

$1.57 LBP 140.2K

$1.45 MX$25.41

8.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 LBP 79.4K

$0.88 MX$15.52

1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 LBP 310.6K

$2.95 MX$51.7

17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 LBP 440.9K

$4.51 MX$79.1

9.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 LBP 152.4K

$1.43 MX$25.12

18.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LBP 71.0K

$1.84 MX$32.23

-57.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 LBP 155.8K

$1.57 MX$27.51

10.83%

Eggs

$3.20 LBP 286.4K

$2.51 MX$44.06

27.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 LBP 1.0M

$8.28 MX$145

36.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 LBP 838.2K

$8.43 MX$148

11.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.65 LBP 1.0M

$10.68 MX$187

9.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 LBP 163.1K

$2.61 MX$45.76

-30.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 LBP 131.7K

$1.44 MX$25.22

2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 LBP 101.3K

$1.96 MX$34.41

-42.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 LBP 94.7K

$2.09 MX$36.74

-49.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LBP 89.2K

$1.85 MX$32.47

-45.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 LBP 92.7K

$2.17 MX$38.02

-52.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LBP 79.3K

$1.03 MX$18.09

-13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 LBP 47.2K

$1.07 MX$18.84

-50.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 LBP 221.9K

$4.10 MX$72.0

-39.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 LBP 884.6K

$10.17 MX$178

-2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 LBP 109.6K

$1.68 MX$29.38

-27.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 LBP 197.2K

$2.53 MX$44.31

-13.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 LBP 184.3K

$0.51 MX$8.93

303.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 LBP 450.9K

$3.23 MX$56.7

56.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 LBP 109.8K

$2.41 MX$42.19

-48.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.17 LBP 1.8M

$3.23 MX$56.6

524.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 LBP 84.2K

$1.32 MX$23.17

-28.79%

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

$34.6K LBP 3.1B

$29.7K MX$520.9K

16.35%

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

$28.1K LBP 2.5B

$23.7K MX$415.0K

18.84%

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

$212 LBP 19.0M

$82.0 MX$1,439

159.02%

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

$37.90 LBP 3.4M

$22.95 MX$403

65.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.12 LBP 3.3M

$30.11 MX$528

23.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.12 LBP 2.2M

$52.0 MX$912

-51.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 LBP 704.5K

$4.98 MX$87.3

58.03%

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

$299 LBP 26.8M

$197 MX$3,463

51.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,434 LBP 396.8M

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-16.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 LBP 6.4M

$35.60 MX$624

102.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.75 LBP 4.0M

$40.33 MX$707

10.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 LBP 10.9M

$78.8 MX$1,381

55.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 LBP 8.3M

$88.9 MX$1,560

4.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 LBP 22.0M

$947 MX$16.6K

-74.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 LBP 17.9M

$474 MX$8,314

-57.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 LBP 39.9M

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-72.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 LBP 31.5M

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-70.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,156 LBP 103.5M

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-71.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$844 LBP 75.5M

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-86.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 LBP 53.2M

$654 MX$11.5K

-9.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

11.42

-2.28%

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

Last update for Koura: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $246 in Koura versus $947 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 10% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $61.0 in Koura versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Koura vs $249 in Playa del Carmen – so Koura wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 10% more than Koura, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,706 per month in Koura and $1,884 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 Koura, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,137 in Koura and $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $299 per month in Koura and $197 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Koura, where all-in costs run around $1,137, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Koura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Koura costs $1,137 versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Koura. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.