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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,821 in Matosinhos versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,664 in Matosinhos versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,507 in Matosinhos versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Matosinhos is roughly 45% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Matosinhos is 36% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.46 €10.03

$11.99 MX$210

-4.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.40 €39.72

$41.78 MX$733

8.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 €7.99

$10.75 MX$189

-14.98%

Cappuccino

$2.29 €2.00

$3.50 MX$61.3

-34.57%

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

$2.05 €1.79

$1.45 MX$25.41

41.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.24

$0.88 MX$15.52

61.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 €2.50

$2.95 MX$51.7

-3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.00

$4.51 MX$79.1

-23.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 €0.96

$1.43 MX$25.12

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.84 MX$32.23

-4.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 €1.42

$1.57 MX$27.51

3.18%

Eggs

$3.02 €2.64

$2.51 MX$44.06

20.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 €9.89

$8.28 MX$145

36.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.39 €6.47

$8.43 MX$148

-12.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.93 €12.18

$10.68 MX$187

30.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.61 MX$45.76

-19.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 €1.24

$1.44 MX$25.22

-2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.96 MX$34.41

-7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.09 MX$36.74

13.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.14

$1.85 MX$32.47

-29.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.17 MX$38.02

-15.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.31

$1.03 MX$18.09

44.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$1.07 MX$18.84

-25.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 €5.45

$4.10 MX$72.0

51.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.56 €4.87

$10.17 MX$178

-45.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.68 MX$29.38

-35.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.06

$2.53 MX$44.31

-7.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.51 MX$8.93

268.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.87 €30.50

$26.04 MX$457

33.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 €3.44

$3.23 MX$56.7

21.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 €0.65

$2.41 MX$42.19

-69.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.44 €12.63

$3.23 MX$56.6

347.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.32 MX$23.17

51.52%

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

$34.2K €29.9K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

15.17%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

62.92%

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

$138 €120

$82.0 MX$1,439

67.71%

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

$21.56 €18.87

$22.95 MX$403

-6.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.00 €36.75

$30.11 MX$528

39.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 €40.59

$52.0 MX$912

-10.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$8.16 €7.14

$4.98 MX$87.3

63.86%

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

$346 €302

$197 MX$3,463

75.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,424 €7,370

$5,336 MX$93.6K

57.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 €65.0

$35.60 MX$624

108.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.98 €30.60

$40.33 MX$707

-13.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 €81.3

$78.8 MX$1,381

18.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €97.0

$88.9 MX$1,560

24.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 €992

$947 MX$16.6K

19.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 €829

$474 MX$8,314

99.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 €1,717

$1,644 MX$28.8K

19.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 €1,445

$1,211 MX$21.2K

36.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,311 €3,772

$4,056 MX$71.1K

6.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,936 €3,444

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-39.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,191 €1,042

$654 MX$11.5K

82.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.29

11.42

-53.68%

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

Last update for Matosinhos: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Matosinhos and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Matosinhos pays 82% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Matosinhos vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $249, with Matosinhos 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Matosinhos, 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: $1,134 in Matosinhos versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,821 per month in Matosinhos versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 34% less than in Matosinhos. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,821 in Matosinhos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Matosinhos. 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 Matosinhos, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Matosinhos and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Matosinhos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.