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: $1,120 in Medias versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,701 in Medias versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,283 in Medias versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Medias costs roughly 12% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medias 17% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.17 RON 55.1

$11.87 MX$204

2.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 RON 231

$42.90 MX$736

19.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 RON 35.50

$10.65 MX$183

-26.29%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.99

$3.45 MX$59.2

2.32%

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

$1.91 RON 8.66

$1.50 MX$25.81

27.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 RON 9.13

$0.95 MX$16.28

112.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 RON 14.88

$3.03 MX$51.9

8.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 RON 15.30

$4.61 MX$79.1

-26.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RON 6.32

$1.38 MX$23.61

1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.90

$1.85 MX$31.70

-29.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.08

$1.61 MX$27.65

11.18%

Eggs

$3.29 RON 14.90

$2.59 MX$44.51

27.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 RON 39.89

$8.26 MX$142

6.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 RON 31.49

$8.37 MX$144

-16.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.02 RON 54.4

$10.66 MX$183

12.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.32

$2.63 MX$45.12

-55.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.42

$1.49 MX$25.53

10.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.31

$1.92 MX$32.94

-15.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 RON 11.26

$2.09 MX$35.81

19.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 RON 4.65

$1.86 MX$31.88

-44.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 RON 4.88

$2.26 MX$38.81

-52.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$1.06 MX$18.23

-10.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RON 3.73

$1.09 MX$18.67

-24.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.72 RON 25.85

$4.15 MX$71.2

37.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.88 RON 40.17

$10.39 MX$178

-14.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 RON 4.96

$1.72 MX$29.59

-36.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 RON 7.48

$2.61 MX$44.85

-36.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.27

$0.54 MX$9.30

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.52 RON 88.3

$26.94 MX$462

-27.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 RON 3.45

$3.13 MX$53.7

-75.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 RON 3.48

$2.51 MX$43.09

-69.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 RON 31.39

$3.15 MX$54.1

120.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 RON 6.73

$1.27 MX$21.88

17.32%

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

$28.5K RON 129.0K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-6.13%

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

$28.1K RON 126.9K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

19.08%

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

$167 RON 756

$83.0 MX$1,425

101.24%

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

$8.30 RON 37.54

$22.71 MX$390

-63.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.15 RON 41.39

$29.46 MX$506

-68.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.75 RON 184

$51.0 MX$875

-20.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.12 RON 86.5

$18.33 MX$315

4.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 RON 30.89

$4.93 MX$84.5

38.54%

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

$453 RON 2,051

$197 MX$3,386

129.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,526 RON 29.5K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

23.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 RON 300

$36.90 MX$633

79.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.48 RON 192

$39.89 MX$685

6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 RON 439

$80.0 MX$1,373

21.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 RON 449

$89.5 MX$1,536

10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 RON 1,774

$956 MX$16.4K

-58.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 RON 1,338

$477 MX$8,189

-38.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 RON 2,687

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-63.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 RON 1,981

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-64.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,729 RON 7,819

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-55.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,270 RON 5,744

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-80.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $392 in Medias and $956 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 $225 vs $250, 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,679 in Medias and $1,906 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: $392 in Medias versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Medias versus $197 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 11% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,120 in Medias versus $1,271 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 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.