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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,151 in Matamoros versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,822 in Matamoros versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,493 in Matamoros versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Matamoros costs roughly 11% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Matamoros 14% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 MX$185

$11.94 MX$209

-11.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.52 MX$692

$42.75 MX$748

-7.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 MX$136

$10.59 MX$185

-26.72%

Cappuccino

$3.35 MX$58.7

$3.62 MX$63.4

-7.46%

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

$1.28 MX$22.39

$1.47 MX$25.69

-12.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$16.16

$0.94 MX$16.51

-2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$41.35

$3.09 MX$54.1

-23.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 MX$66.8

$4.46 MX$78.0

-14.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$26.13

$1.43 MX$24.94

4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 MX$45.56

$1.88 MX$32.97

38.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MX$28.05

$1.63 MX$28.50

-1.84%

Eggs

$2.32 MX$40.63

$2.64 MX$46.26

-12.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 MX$141

$8.21 MX$144

-1.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 MX$137

$8.29 MX$145

-5.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 MX$183

$11.10 MX$194

-5.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.95

$2.65 MX$46.40

-0.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.66

$1.50 MX$26.26

-6.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.53

$1.99 MX$34.79

-9.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$29.10

$2.08 MX$36.33

-20.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.81

$1.79 MX$31.29

7.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.05

$2.18 MX$38.09

-10.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.90

$1.08 MX$18.84

15.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.75

$1.04 MX$18.15

-2.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.5

$3.97 MX$69.5

2.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 MX$213

$10.20 MX$179

19.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$1.73 MX$30.22

-6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 MX$47.96

$2.50 MX$43.71

9.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.68

$0.52 MX$9.07

17.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.05 MX$561

$26.97 MX$472

18.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 MX$44.61

$3.14 MX$55.0

-18.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$28.21

$2.40 MX$42.04

-32.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 MX$148

$3.09 MX$54.0

174.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$22.13

$1.27 MX$22.28

-0.79%

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

$21.1K MX$369.3K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-31.66%

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

$22.3K MX$390.1K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

-4.38%

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

$57.5 MX$1,006

$82.0 MX$1,435

-29.90%

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

$21.86 MX$383

$22.45 MX$393

-2.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.82 MX$487

$29.66 MX$519

-6.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.63 MX$623

$51.9 MX$908

-31.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 MX$273

$18.67 MX$327

-16.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$83.3

$4.97 MX$87.0

-4.23%

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

$209 MX$3,650

$198 MX$3,462

5.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,104 MX$54.3K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

-41.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 MX$936

$36.34 MX$636

47.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.42 MX$707

$40.05 MX$701

0.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MX$1,596

$79.9 MX$1,398

14.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 MX$1,389

$88.9 MX$1,555

-10.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 MX$8,743

$963 MX$16.9K

-48.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 MX$7,006

$465 MX$8,133

-13.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 MX$16.3K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-41.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 MX$13.5K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-36.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,755 MX$30.7K

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-55.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,283 MX$22.4K

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-80.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.42

0.53%

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

Last update for Matamoros: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Matamoros and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Matamoros vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $253 vs $251, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Matamoros wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Matamoros the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,727 in Matamoros and $1,930 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Matamoros versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Matamoros – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,151 per month in Matamoros versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,151 in Matamoros versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Matamoros but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Matamoros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Matamoros delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,151 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Matamoros hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Matamoros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.