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: $1,245 in Matamoros versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,953 in Matamoros versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,660 in Matamoros versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Matamoros costs roughly 5% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Matamoros 10% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$203

$11.96 MX$203

-0.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.23 MX$801

$47.38 MX$804

-0.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 MX$156

$11.75 MX$199

-21.87%

Cappuccino

$3.71 MX$62.9

$4.12 MX$70.0

-9.95%

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

$1.50 MX$25.48

$1.40 MX$23.74

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.47

$0.91 MX$15.48

26.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 MX$49.27

$3.21 MX$54.4

-9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$76.1

$7.07 MX$120

-36.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MX$29.87

$1.68 MX$28.44

4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$46.94

$2.15 MX$36.48

28.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 MX$30.86

$1.77 MX$30.10

2.82%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.13

$2.82 MX$47.76

-9.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 MX$148

$9.20 MX$156

-5.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.75 MX$148

$9.23 MX$157

-5.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 MX$210

$12.64 MX$214

-1.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$48.61

$2.95 MX$50.1

-2.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.54

$1.58 MX$26.79

2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.53

$2.22 MX$37.70

-5.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.11

$2.36 MX$40.09

-17.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$1.99 MX$33.81

3.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.42

$1.98 MX$33.58

-3.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$25.74

$1.24 MX$21.04

22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.67

$1.21 MX$20.55

-4.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MX$78.4

$4.60 MX$78.1

0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 MX$197

$10.52 MX$178

10.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$32.86

$1.69 MX$28.70

14.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 MX$55.7

$2.77 MX$47.06

18.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$11.55

$0.60 MX$10.22

13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 MX$46.18

$5.24 MX$88.8

-48.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 MX$36.26

$3.65 MX$61.9

-41.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.00 MX$204

$5.78 MX$98.1

107.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$26.49

$1.54 MX$26.09

1.30%

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

$22.6K MX$382.7K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

-1.06%

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

$25.6K MX$433.8K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

-0.94%

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

$61.9 MX$1,049

$90.7 MX$1,538

-31.77%

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

$24.37 MX$413

$25.19 MX$427

-3.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.52 MX$552

$31.75 MX$539

2.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 MX$628

$68.8 MX$1,167

-46.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.35 MX$362

$29.37 MX$498

-27.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 MX$97.1

$4.86 MX$82.5

17.70%

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

$245 MX$4,155

$226 MX$3,828

8.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,000 MX$84.8K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

19.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 MX$981

$47.38 MX$804

22.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.52 MX$772

$43.45 MX$737

4.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,829

$80.2 MX$1,361

34.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 MX$1,552

$91.4 MX$1,550

0.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$652 MX$11.1K

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-39.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 MX$7,187

$409 MX$6,933

3.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 MX$18.9K

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-43.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 MX$14.0K

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-35.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,989 MX$33.7K

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-50.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,213 MX$20.6K

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-81.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.45

-1.31%

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

Last update for Matamoros: September 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $652 in Matamoros and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Matamoros vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $278, 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 5% 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 $1,868 in Matamoros and $1,958 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: $652 in Matamoros versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Matamoros versus $226 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Matamoros – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,245 in Matamoros versus $1,305 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 $1,245 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 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.