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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $513 per month in Medea vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $839 per month in Medea vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,165 per month in Medea vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Medea is about 60% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medea and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Medea 62% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 DZD 273

$11.94 MX$208

-82.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 DZD 3,183

$42.75 MX$744

-43.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.98 DZD 528

$10.59 MX$184

-62.42%

Cappuccino

$0.35 DZD 45.78

$3.62 MX$63.0

-90.33%

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

$0.46 DZD 60.7

$1.47 MX$25.54

-68.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 DZD 28.17

$0.94 MX$16.41

-77.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 DZD 252

$3.09 MX$53.8

-38.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 DZD 318

$4.46 MX$77.6

-46.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 DZD 139

$1.43 MX$24.80

-26.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.07 DZD 9.07

$1.88 MX$32.79

-96.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 DZD 149

$1.63 MX$28.34

-30.67%

Eggs

$1.53 DZD 203

$2.64 MX$45.99

-42.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 DZD 1,190

$8.21 MX$143

9.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 DZD 647

$8.29 MX$144

-41.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.27 DZD 2,158

$11.10 MX$193

46.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 DZD 428

$2.65 MX$46.14

21.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 DZD 359

$1.50 MX$26.11

80.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 DZD 237

$1.99 MX$34.59

-10.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 DZD 74.8

$2.08 MX$36.13

-73.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 DZD 84.9

$1.79 MX$31.11

-64.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 DZD 65.0

$2.18 MX$37.87

-77.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 DZD 90.7

$1.08 MX$18.73

-37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 DZD 40.30

$1.04 MX$18.04

-71.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 DZD 287

$3.97 MX$69.1

-45.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.11 DZD 943

$10.20 MX$178

-30.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 DZD 171

$1.73 MX$30.04

-25.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 DZD 279

$2.50 MX$43.46

-15.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 DZD 33.27

$0.52 MX$9.02

-51.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.54 DZD 2,327

$26.97 MX$469

-34.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 DZD 87.8

$3.14 MX$54.7

-78.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 DZD 44.11

$2.40 MX$41.80

-86.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 DZD 727

$3.09 MX$53.7

77.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.37 DZD 48.68

$1.27 MX$22.16

-70.87%

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

$20.2K DZD 2.7M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-34.52%

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

$33.7K DZD 4.5M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

44.73%

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

$18.72 DZD 2,483

$82.0 MX$1,427

-77.17%

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

$7.87 DZD 1,044

$22.45 MX$391

-64.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.97 DZD 2,383

$29.66 MX$516

-39.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.42 DZD 3,106

$51.9 MX$903

-54.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.98 DZD 262

$18.67 MX$325

-89.39%

Cinema Ticket

$3.56 DZD 473

$4.97 MX$86.5

-28.37%

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

$39.87 DZD 5,288

$198 MX$3,442

-79.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,649 DZD 483.9K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-30.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.83 DZD 2,630

$36.34 MX$632

-45.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 DZD 4,330

$40.05 MX$697

-18.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$32.64 DZD 4,328

$79.9 MX$1,390

-59.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.7 DZD 7,512

$88.9 MX$1,547

-36.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$196 DZD 26.0K

$963 MX$16.8K

-79.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 DZD 15.1K

$465 MX$8,086

-75.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 DZD 36.6K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-82.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 DZD 24.1K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-84.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$760 DZD 100.8K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-80.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$408 DZD 54.1K

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-93.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$326 DZD 43.2K

$720 MX$12.5K

-54.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-56.22%

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

Last update for Medea: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $196 in Medea versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 121% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Medea versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $251 – making Medea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 151%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $770 per month in Medea and $1,930 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medea, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Medea and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $513 in Medea and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medea, where all-in costs run around $513, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Medea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medea – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medea. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.