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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,119 in Medias versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,699 in Medias versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,280 in Medias versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Medias costs roughly 13% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medias 16% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.44 RON 54.1

$11.94 MX$208

4.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 RON 221

$42.75 MX$744

19.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 RON 34.63

$10.59 MX$184

-24.83%

Cappuccino

$3.57 RON 15.52

$3.62 MX$63.0

-1.38%

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

$1.98 RON 8.60

$1.47 MX$25.54

34.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 RON 9.09

$0.94 MX$16.41

122.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 RON 13.86

$3.09 MX$53.8

3.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 RON 15.08

$4.46 MX$77.6

-22.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 RON 5.86

$1.43 MX$24.80

-5.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 5.63

$1.88 MX$32.79

-30.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 RON 7.94

$1.63 MX$28.34

12.27%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 14.56

$2.64 MX$45.99

26.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 RON 37.14

$8.21 MX$143

4.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 RON 30.74

$8.29 MX$144

-14.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.89 RON 51.7

$11.10 MX$193

7.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.19

$2.65 MX$46.14

-55.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.20

$1.50 MX$26.11

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 6.76

$1.99 MX$34.59

-22.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 RON 10.40

$2.08 MX$36.13

14.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.34

$1.79 MX$31.11

-44.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 RON 4.51

$2.18 MX$37.87

-52.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 RON 3.85

$1.08 MX$18.73

-17.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RON 3.59

$1.04 MX$18.04

-21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 RON 25.08

$3.97 MX$69.1

45.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.07 RON 30.75

$10.20 MX$178

-30.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 RON 4.81

$1.73 MX$30.04

-35.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 RON 7.41

$2.50 MX$43.46

-32.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 2.92

$0.52 MX$9.02

28.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.64 RON 85.4

$26.97 MX$469

-27.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 RON 3.29

$3.14 MX$54.7

-75.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.51

$2.40 MX$41.80

-66.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.05 RON 30.67

$3.09 MX$53.7

128.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 RON 6.47

$1.27 MX$22.16

17.32%

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

$28.5K RON 124.1K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-7.60%

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

$27.5K RON 119.6K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

17.94%

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

$166 RON 724

$82.0 MX$1,427

103.00%

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

$7.98 RON 34.70

$22.45 MX$391

-64.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.95 RON 38.94

$29.66 MX$516

-69.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 RON 182

$51.9 MX$903

-19.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.21 RON 83.6

$18.67 MX$325

2.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 RON 30.62

$4.97 MX$86.5

41.65%

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

$440 RON 1,916

$198 MX$3,442

122.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,542 RON 28.5K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

24.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 RON 294

$36.34 MX$632

85.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.69 RON 186

$40.05 MX$697

6.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 RON 419

$79.9 MX$1,390

20.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 RON 432

$88.9 MX$1,547

11.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 RON 1,666

$963 MX$16.8K

-60.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 RON 1,272

$465 MX$8,086

-37.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 RON 2,544

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-63.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 1,938

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-63.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,733 RON 7,536

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-56.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,318 RON 5,733

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-79.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

11.42

-32.57%

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

Last update for Medias: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $383 in Medias and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Medias vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $219 vs $251, with Medias 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

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

Medias is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,678 in Medias 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: $383 in Medias versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $440 in Medias versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,119 in Medias versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medias but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Medias the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medias is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medias 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 Medias gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.