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: $1,989 in Matosinhos versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,876 in Matosinhos versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,762 in Matosinhos versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Matosinhos is roughly 57% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Matosinhos is 45% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.11 €12.30

$11.60 MX$200

21.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.30 €42.98

$47.11 MX$812

4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 €8.45

$11.88 MX$205

-18.35%

Cappuccino

$2.71 €2.36

$3.98 MX$68.6

-31.91%

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

$2.14 €1.86

$1.43 MX$24.60

49.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.23

$0.82 MX$14.22

71.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 €2.50

$3.19 MX$55.0

-10.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 €2.94

$6.79 MX$117

-50.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.68 MX$28.89

-31.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.20 MX$37.88

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.71 MX$29.45

4.09%

Eggs

$3.65 €3.18

$2.74 MX$47.26

33.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.13 €10.58

$9.58 MX$165

26.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.29 €6.35

$9.01 MX$155

-19.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.06 €13.13

$12.81 MX$221

17.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €1.97

$2.89 MX$49.81

-21.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 €1.42

$1.50 MX$25.81

8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.15 MX$37.03

-11.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.24

$2.26 MX$38.96

13.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.98 MX$34.15

-14.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.65

$1.99 MX$34.30

-5.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.37

$1.23 MX$21.28

28.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$1.20 MX$20.63

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 €5.75

$4.55 MX$78.5

45.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.99

$10.37 MX$179

-44.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.26

$1.62 MX$27.91

-10.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.88 MX$49.67

-23.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 €2.08

$0.60 MX$10.35

298.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.05 €41.01

$28.80 MX$497

63.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.59

$5.39 MX$92.9

-23.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 €0.79

$3.73 MX$64.3

-75.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.33 €12.49

$5.77 MX$99.5

148.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.54 MX$26.48

43.51%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

55.02%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

50.52%

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

$165 €144

$91.4 MX$1,576

80.26%

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

$23.01 €20.05

$25.20 MX$435

-8.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.04 €29.67

$31.24 MX$539

8.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €47.54

$67.2 MX$1,159

-18.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.46 €15.22

$29.11 MX$502

-40.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.26 €8.08

$4.86 MX$83.8

90.53%

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

$586 €511

$224 MX$3,856

162.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,542

$4,229 MX$72.9K

158.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €87.3

$47.10 MX$812

112.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.03 €34.02

$44.29 MX$764

-11.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 €85.5

$80.1 MX$1,381

22.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €93.1

$92.7 MX$1,598

15.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 €1,141

$1,063 MX$18.3K

23.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 €878

$390 MX$6,728

158.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,339 €2,039

$2,149 MX$37.1K

8.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 €1,434

$1,272 MX$21.9K

29.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,402 €3,837

$4,001 MX$69.0K

10.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,890 €3,391

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-40.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,234 €1,076

$758 MX$13.1K

62.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

11.45

-66.55%

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

Last update for Matosinhos: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,309 in Matosinhos and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Matosinhos pays 63% 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: $49.00 in Matosinhos vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $276, 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 63% 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: $1,309 in Matosinhos versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,989 per month in Matosinhos versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 57% 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 63% less than in Matosinhos. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,989 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 57% less than in Matosinhos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.