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: $1,159 in Leova versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,954 in Leova versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Leova versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Leova costs roughly 8% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Leova 13% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.80 MDL 188

$11.99 MX$210

-9.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 MDL 610

$41.78 MX$733

-16.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 MDL 171

$10.75 MX$189

-8.74%

Cappuccino

$0.92 MDL 15.97

$3.50 MX$61.3

-73.71%

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

$0.54 MDL 9.47

$1.45 MX$25.41

-62.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MDL 6.83

$0.88 MX$15.52

-55.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MDL 46.90

$2.95 MX$51.7

-8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MDL 49.31

$4.51 MX$79.1

-37.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MDL 30.14

$1.43 MX$25.12

20.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 MDL 9.73

$1.84 MX$32.23

-69.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 MDL 23.72

$1.57 MX$27.51

-13.38%

Eggs

$1.36 MDL 23.66

$2.51 MX$44.06

-45.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 MDL 254

$8.28 MX$145

76.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.39 MDL 41.62

$8.43 MX$148

-71.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.28 MDL 74.5

$10.68 MX$187

-59.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 MDL 24.54

$2.61 MX$45.76

-45.98%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 MDL 14.71

$1.44 MX$25.22

-41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 MDL 16.63

$1.96 MX$34.41

-51.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MDL 20.94

$2.09 MX$36.74

-42.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 MDL 27.76

$1.85 MX$32.47

-14.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 MDL 10.46

$2.17 MX$38.02

-72.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 MDL 8.59

$1.03 MX$18.09

-52.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MDL 17.85

$1.07 MX$18.84

-3.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MDL 80.6

$4.10 MX$72.0

12.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 MDL 269

$10.17 MX$178

51.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MDL 20.82

$1.68 MX$29.38

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 MDL 47.61

$2.53 MX$44.31

7.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MDL 6.83

$0.51 MX$8.93

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.44 MDL 513

$26.04 MX$457

13.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 MDL 51.2

$3.23 MX$56.7

-8.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MDL 9.09

$2.41 MX$42.19

-78.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 MDL 60.5

$3.23 MX$56.6

7.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MDL 24.99

$1.32 MX$23.17

9.09%

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

$35.5K MDL 618.3K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

19.59%

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

$36.5K MDL 634.6K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

54.04%

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

$196 MDL 3,407

$82.0 MX$1,439

138.64%

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

$6.00 MDL 105

$22.95 MX$403

-73.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.72 MDL 378

$30.11 MX$528

-27.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.36 MDL 616

$52.0 MX$912

-31.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 MDL 204

$18.53 MX$325

-36.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 MDL 79.1

$4.98 MX$87.3

-8.84%

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

$197 MX$3,463

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 MDL 1,531

$35.60 MX$624

147.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 MDL 1,025

$40.33 MX$707

45.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 MDL 1,727

$78.8 MX$1,381

25.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MDL 2,066

$88.9 MX$1,560

33.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$863 MDL 15.0K

$947 MX$16.6K

-8.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 MDL 6,426

$474 MX$8,314

-22.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 MDL 27.5K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-3.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 MDL 19.7K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-6.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,526 MDL 44.0K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-37.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,999 MDL 34.8K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-69.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$670 MDL 11.7K

$654 MX$11.5K

2.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.19

11.42

-37.04%

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

Last update for Leova: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $863 in Leova and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leova pays 2% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $249 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

Leova is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Leova, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $863 in Leova versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,159 per month in Leova versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,159 in Leova versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Leova but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Leova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Leova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.