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 $1,117 per month in Koura vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,725 per month in Koura vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,333 per month in Koura vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Koura is about 14% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Koura and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Koura 17% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 LBP 986.4K

$11.73 MX$203

-6.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 LBP 5.5M

$41.62 MX$720

46.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.19 LBP 732.8K

$10.64 MX$184

-23.03%

Cappuccino

$3.24 LBP 289.8K

$3.52 MX$60.9

-7.95%

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

$1.63 LBP 146.2K

$1.51 MX$26.12

7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 LBP 79.2K

$0.97 MX$16.84

-9.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 LBP 318.3K

$2.95 MX$51.0

20.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 LBP 455.1K

$4.45 MX$77.0

14.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 LBP 152.8K

$1.38 MX$23.93

23.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 LBP 75.0K

$1.89 MX$32.72

-55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 LBP 162.5K

$1.64 MX$28.32

10.98%

Eggs

$3.12 LBP 279.1K

$2.51 MX$43.34

24.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.52 LBP 1.0M

$8.34 MX$144

38.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 LBP 839.7K

$8.34 MX$144

12.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 LBP 1.0M

$10.73 MX$186

8.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 LBP 162.2K

$2.60 MX$45.04

-30.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 LBP 129.6K

$1.46 MX$25.20

-0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 LBP 101.3K

$1.90 MX$32.87

-40.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 LBP 93.6K

$2.08 MX$35.91

-49.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 LBP 84.8K

$1.78 MX$30.71

-46.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 LBP 89.3K

$2.19 MX$37.80

-54.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 LBP 75.2K

$1.04 MX$17.99

-19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 LBP 47.0K

$1.08 MX$18.62

-50.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 LBP 227.7K

$4.08 MX$70.6

-37.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 LBP 906.3K

$10.32 MX$178

-1.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 LBP 110.5K

$1.71 MX$29.61

-28.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 LBP 190.0K

$2.58 MX$44.54

-17.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 LBP 183.4K

$0.51 MX$8.81

301.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 LBP 450.4K

$3.26 MX$56.4

54.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 LBP 110.4K

$2.49 MX$43.09

-50.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.82 LBP 1.8M

$3.25 MX$56.2

509.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 LBP 83.4K

$1.31 MX$22.61

-29.01%

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

$34.7K LBP 3.1B

$30.3K MX$523.7K

14.49%

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

$27.4K LBP 2.5B

$23.4K MX$405.3K

17.02%

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

$217 LBP 19.4M

$82.9 MX$1,433

161.98%

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

$36.98 LBP 3.3M

$22.22 MX$384

66.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.61 LBP 3.4M

$29.34 MX$507

28.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.42 LBP 2.3M

$51.6 MX$893

-50.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 LBP 699.7K

$5.07 MX$87.6

54.24%

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

$297 LBP 26.6M

$201 MX$3,473

47.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,371 LBP 391.2M

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-16.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 LBP 6.3M

$36.92 MX$639

89.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.31 LBP 4.1M

$39.79 MX$688

13.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 LBP 10.8M

$78.5 MX$1,357

53.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 LBP 8.5M

$87.1 MX$1,506

9.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 LBP 22.4M

$973 MX$16.8K

-74.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 LBP 18.2M

$468 MX$8,090

-56.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 LBP 40.6M

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-72.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 LBP 30.9M

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-71.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,154 LBP 103.3M

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-70.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$833 LBP 74.6M

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-87.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 LBP 52.9M

$664 MX$11.5K

-11.01%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $250 in Koura versus $973 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 12% 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 16% 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 $1,676 per month in Koura and $1,945 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 $1,117 in Koura and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $297 per month in Koura and $201 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 $1,117, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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 $1,117 versus $1,297 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.