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: $1,165 in Leova versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,989 in Leova versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,813 in Leova versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Leova costs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Leova 13% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.83 MDL 186

$11.73 MX$203

-7.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.13 MDL 603

$41.62 MX$721

-15.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 MDL 163

$10.64 MX$184

-10.62%

Cappuccino

$0.85 MDL 14.65

$3.52 MX$61.0

-75.85%

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

$0.54 MDL 9.29

$1.51 MX$26.17

-64.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MDL 6.71

$0.97 MX$16.87

-59.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MDL 46.43

$2.95 MX$51.1

-8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MDL 49.13

$4.45 MX$77.2

-35.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MDL 30.24

$1.38 MX$23.97

27.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 MDL 9.77

$1.89 MX$32.78

-69.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 MDL 23.57

$1.64 MX$28.37

-16.46%

Eggs

$1.42 MDL 24.44

$2.51 MX$43.42

-43.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 MDL 253

$8.34 MX$145

76.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.32 MDL 39.83

$8.34 MX$145

-72.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.16 MDL 71.4

$10.73 MX$186

-61.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 MDL 24.18

$2.60 MX$45.12

-45.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 MDL 15.65

$1.46 MX$25.25

-37.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 MDL 16.35

$1.90 MX$32.94

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 MDL 20.36

$2.08 MX$35.98

-42.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 MDL 26.34

$1.78 MX$30.77

-14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 9.59

$2.19 MX$37.87

-74.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 MDL 7.72

$1.04 MX$18.02

-56.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MDL 18.47

$1.08 MX$18.66

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 MDL 81.7

$4.08 MX$70.7

16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 MDL 262

$10.32 MX$179

47.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MDL 19.62

$1.71 MX$29.67

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 MDL 46.84

$2.58 MX$44.63

5.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MDL 6.75

$0.51 MX$8.83

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.55 MDL 507

$26.46 MX$459

11.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 MDL 48.93

$3.26 MX$56.5

-12.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MDL 8.87

$2.49 MX$43.17

-79.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 MDL 61.0

$3.25 MX$56.3

9.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MDL 24.56

$1.31 MX$22.65

9.16%

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

$35.6K MDL 611.8K

$30.3K MX$524.7K

17.68%

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

$36.8K MDL 631.3K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

56.93%

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

$193 MDL 3,316

$82.9 MX$1,436

133.08%

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

$5.74 MDL 98.6

$22.22 MX$385

-74.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.59 MDL 371

$29.34 MX$508

-26.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.70 MDL 596

$51.6 MX$895

-32.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.91 MDL 205

$18.32 MX$317

-34.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 MDL 80.7

$5.07 MX$87.8

-7.30%

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

$201 MX$3,480

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.8 MDL 1,491

$36.92 MX$640

135.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 MDL 1,010

$39.79 MX$689

47.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MDL 1,730

$78.5 MX$1,360

28.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MDL 1,975

$87.1 MX$1,509

32.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$863 MDL 14.8K

$973 MX$16.9K

-11.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 MDL 6,227

$468 MX$8,105

-22.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 MDL 27.2K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-3.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 MDL 19.7K

$1,221 MX$21.2K

-6.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,500 MDL 42.9K

$3,946 MX$68.4K

-36.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 MDL 34.6K

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-68.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$668 MDL 11.5K

$664 MX$11.5K

0.65%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $863 in Leova and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leova pays 1% 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 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Leova pays 1% more on average, 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 $973 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 $1,165 per month in Leova versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,165 in Leova versus $1,297 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 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.