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: $1,128 in Medias versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,718 in Medias versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,307 in Medias versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Medias costs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medias 15% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 RON 56.3

$11.72 MX$203

5.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 RON 228

$41.89 MX$725

19.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 RON 36.97

$10.51 MX$182

-22.65%

Cappuccino

$3.40 RON 15.46

$3.59 MX$62.0

-5.29%

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

$1.90 RON 8.66

$1.51 MX$26.10

25.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 RON 9.40

$0.92 MX$15.83

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 RON 14.54

$2.96 MX$51.2

8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 RON 15.27

$4.41 MX$76.3

-23.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 RON 6.13

$1.40 MX$24.16

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 RON 6.10

$1.88 MX$32.60

-28.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.11

$1.56 MX$26.97

14.10%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 15.25

$2.61 MX$45.14

28.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 RON 38.31

$8.32 MX$144

1.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 RON 30.99

$8.35 MX$145

-18.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 RON 54.5

$10.86 MX$188

10.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.39

$2.71 MX$46.93

-56.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.51

$1.51 MX$26.04

9.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 RON 7.30

$1.87 MX$32.41

-13.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 RON 11.06

$2.19 MX$37.89

10.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.53

$1.86 MX$32.14

-46.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 RON 4.70

$2.23 MX$38.59

-53.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 3.94

$1.07 MX$18.48

-18.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.63

$1.09 MX$18.79

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 RON 27.13

$4.19 MX$72.4

42.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 RON 35.29

$10.43 MX$180

-25.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.18

$1.66 MX$28.68

-31.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 RON 7.50

$2.61 MX$45.19

-36.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.29

$0.54 MX$9.37

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.59 RON 89.1

$26.16 MX$453

-25.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 RON 3.22

$3.08 MX$53.3

-76.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.68

$2.40 MX$41.61

-66.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 RON 31.97

$3.13 MX$54.1

124.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 6.90

$1.31 MX$22.69

16.03%

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

$28.2K RON 128.1K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-5.50%

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

$27.5K RON 125.0K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

17.89%

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

$162 RON 734

$81.3 MX$1,406

98.71%

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

$8.03 RON 36.49

$22.56 MX$390

-64.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.94 RON 40.63

$30.05 MX$520

-70.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.32 RON 188

$52.9 MX$915

-21.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 RON 87.0

$18.39 MX$318

4.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 RON 31.88

$4.92 MX$85.1

42.48%

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

$452 RON 2,055

$201 MX$3,474

125.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,675 RON 30.3K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

29.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 RON 309

$35.92 MX$622

89.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.75 RON 199

$40.13 MX$694

9.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 RON 434

$79.7 MX$1,379

19.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 RON 456

$86.5 MX$1,496

16.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 RON 1,771

$978 MX$16.9K

-60.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 RON 1,302

$470 MX$8,140

-39.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 RON 2,654

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-64.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 RON 2,017

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-63.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,806 RON 8,210

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-54.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,280 RON 5,821

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-80.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $389 in Medias and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Medias vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $220 vs $252, 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 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,692 in Medias and $1,890 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: $389 in Medias versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $452 in Medias versus $201 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 $1,128 in Medias versus $1,260 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 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.