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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,393 in Leova versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,132 in Leova versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,871 in Leova versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Leova is roughly 7% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Leova is 1% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.58 MDL 182

$11.96 MX$203

-11.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.32 MDL 606

$47.38 MX$804

-25.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.62 MDL 165

$11.75 MX$199

-18.13%

Cappuccino

$0.90 MDL 15.39

$4.12 MX$70.0

-78.16%

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

$0.55 MDL 9.51

$1.40 MX$23.74

-60.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MDL 7.22

$0.91 MX$15.48

-53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MDL 46.13

$3.21 MX$54.4

-16.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MDL 47.27

$7.07 MX$120

-61.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MDL 29.32

$1.68 MX$28.44

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 MDL 26.74

$2.15 MX$36.48

-27.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 MDL 24.24

$1.77 MX$30.10

-20.34%

Eggs

$1.38 MDL 23.70

$2.82 MX$47.76

-51.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 MDL 249

$9.20 MX$156

57.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.28 MDL 39.11

$9.23 MX$157

-75.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.29 MDL 73.6

$12.64 MX$214

-66.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 MDL 23.94

$2.95 MX$50.1

-52.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 MDL 15.37

$1.58 MX$26.79

-43.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 MDL 17.70

$2.22 MX$37.70

-53.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 MDL 19.82

$2.36 MX$40.09

-51.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 MDL 26.70

$1.99 MX$33.81

-21.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 MDL 10.18

$1.98 MX$33.58

-70.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 MDL 7.66

$1.24 MX$21.04

-63.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MDL 18.20

$1.21 MX$20.55

-12.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.81 MDL 82.5

$4.60 MX$78.1

4.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.60 MDL 268

$10.52 MX$178

48.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MDL 20.27

$1.69 MX$28.70

-30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 MDL 46.33

$2.77 MX$47.06

-2.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MDL 6.85

$0.60 MX$10.22

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.90 MDL 513

$29.70 MX$504

0.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 MDL 51.1

$5.24 MX$88.8

-43.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MDL 9.59

$3.65 MX$61.9

-84.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 MDL 60.7

$5.78 MX$98.1

-38.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MDL 24.61

$1.54 MX$26.09

-7.14%

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

$35.1K MDL 602.3K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

53.93%

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

$36.4K MDL 624.1K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

40.89%

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

$199 MDL 3,418

$90.7 MX$1,538

119.65%

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

$5.90 MDL 101

$25.19 MX$427

-76.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.89 MDL 376

$31.75 MX$539

-31.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.1 MDL 1,528

$68.8 MX$1,167

29.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 MDL 204

$29.37 MX$498

-59.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.77 MDL 81.8

$4.86 MX$82.5

-1.85%

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

$226 MX$3,828

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 MDL 1,524

$47.38 MX$804

87.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MDL 978

$43.45 MX$737

31.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 MDL 1,710

$80.2 MX$1,361

24.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MDL 1,971

$91.4 MX$1,550

25.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 MDL 11.2K

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-40.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 MDL 9,441

$409 MX$6,933

34.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 MDL 26.8K

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-20.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MDL 19.7K

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-10.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,564 MDL 44.0K

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-36.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 MDL 34.6K

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-69.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$661 MDL 11.3K

$773 MX$13.1K

-14.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.19

11.45

-37.21%

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

Last update for Leova: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $650 in Leova and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Leova vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $278 per month, with Leova 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $650 in Leova versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Leova pay roughly 41% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,393 per month in Leova versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,393 in Leova, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Leova. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Leova, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Leova. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.