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 $1,214 per month in Koura vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,902 per month in Koura vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,589 per month in Koura vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Koura is about 4% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Koura and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Koura 11% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.80 LBP 1.1M

$11.60 MX$200

1.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 LBP 5.8M

$47.11 MX$812

37.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 LBP 912.7K

$11.88 MX$205

-14.14%

Cappuccino

$4.60 LBP 411.5K

$3.98 MX$68.6

15.58%

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

$2.34 LBP 209.9K

$1.43 MX$24.60

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 LBP 79.5K

$0.82 MX$14.22

8.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 LBP 443.3K

$3.19 MX$55.0

55.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 LBP 437.0K

$6.79 MX$117

-28.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 LBP 166.1K

$1.68 MX$28.89

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 LBP 73.8K

$2.20 MX$37.88

-62.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 LBP 198.5K

$1.71 MX$29.45

29.82%

Eggs

$3.50 LBP 313.6K

$2.74 MX$47.26

27.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 LBP 1.2M

$9.58 MX$165

38.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.66 LBP 954.0K

$9.01 MX$155

18.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.93 LBP 1.2M

$12.81 MX$221

8.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 LBP 278.0K

$2.89 MX$49.81

7.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 LBP 153.3K

$1.50 MX$25.81

14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 LBP 150.1K

$2.15 MX$37.03

-21.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 LBP 135.4K

$2.26 MX$38.96

-33.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 LBP 126.4K

$1.98 MX$34.15

-28.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 LBP 146.0K

$1.99 MX$34.30

-18.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LBP 108.7K

$1.23 MX$21.28

-1.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 LBP 65.1K

$1.20 MX$20.63

-39.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 LBP 270.0K

$4.55 MX$78.5

-33.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 LBP 909.2K

$10.37 MX$179

-2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 LBP 114.8K

$1.62 MX$27.91

-20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 LBP 222.0K

$2.88 MX$49.67

-13.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 LBP 177.2K

$0.60 MX$10.35

230.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 LBP 436.4K

$5.39 MX$92.9

-9.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 LBP 199.7K

$3.73 MX$64.3

-40.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.84 LBP 2.0M

$5.77 MX$99.5

295.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 LBP 80.2K

$1.54 MX$26.48

-41.56%

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

$54.3K LBP 4.9B

$22.5K MX$388.8K

140.71%

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

$33.0K LBP 3.0B

$26.1K MX$449.3K

26.54%

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

$228 LBP 20.4M

$91.4 MX$1,576

150.03%

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

$23.27 LBP 2.1M

$25.20 MX$435

-7.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.50 LBP 3.4M

$31.24 MX$539

20.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.23 LBP 2.3M

$67.2 MX$1,159

-62.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.96 LBP 891.1K

$29.11 MX$502

-65.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 LBP 881.0K

$4.86 MX$83.8

102.47%

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

$676 LBP 60.5M

$224 MX$3,856

202.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K LBP 973.1M

$4,229 MX$72.9K

157.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 LBP 6.1M

$47.10 MX$812

45.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.54 LBP 4.3M

$44.29 MX$764

9.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 LBP 12.3M

$80.1 MX$1,381

70.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 LBP 10.8M

$92.7 MX$1,598

29.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 LBP 22.4M

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-76.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 LBP 18.2M

$390 MX$6,728

-47.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 LBP 40.6M

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-78.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 LBP 30.9M

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-72.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,140 LBP 102.1M

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-71.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$848 LBP 75.9M

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-86.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$600 LBP 53.7M

$758 MX$13.1K

-20.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-3.93%

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

Last update for Koura: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $250 in Koura versus $1,063 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 26% 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 $65.0 in Koura versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $276 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 4% 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 $1,821 per month in Koura and $1,899 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 $1,214 in Koura and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $676 per month in Koura and $224 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 $1,214, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $1,214 versus $1,266 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.