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: $1,174 in Medias versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,802 in Medias versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,429 in Medias versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Medias costs roughly 7% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medias 14% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 RON 56.6

$11.60 MX$200

6.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.0 RON 252

$47.11 MX$811

16.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 RON 36.43

$11.88 MX$205

-33.08%

Cappuccino

$3.80 RON 17.40

$3.98 MX$68.5

-4.52%

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

$2.57 RON 11.77

$1.43 MX$24.57

79.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 10.80

$0.82 MX$14.20

187.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 RON 14.92

$3.19 MX$54.9

2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 RON 16.52

$6.79 MX$117

-46.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 RON 5.99

$1.68 MX$28.85

-22.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 RON 6.98

$2.20 MX$37.83

-30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.20

$1.71 MX$29.41

4.68%

Eggs

$3.60 RON 16.50

$2.74 MX$47.20

31.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 RON 42.14

$9.58 MX$165

-3.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 RON 33.83

$9.01 MX$155

-18.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 RON 61.1

$12.81 MX$221

4.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.15

$2.89 MX$49.74

-46.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.22

$1.50 MX$25.78

5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 RON 7.64

$2.15 MX$36.98

-22.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 RON 13.04

$2.26 MX$38.91

26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.72

$1.98 MX$34.10

-59.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 RON 4.08

$1.99 MX$34.26

-55.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 RON 4.29

$1.23 MX$21.25

-23.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 RON 3.91

$1.20 MX$20.60

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 RON 30.18

$4.55 MX$78.3

44.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 RON 35.18

$10.37 MX$179

-25.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 RON 5.82

$1.62 MX$27.88

-21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 RON 9.14

$2.88 MX$49.60

-30.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 RON 3.45

$0.60 MX$10.34

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.39 RON 103

$28.80 MX$496

-22.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 RON 3.08

$5.39 MX$92.8

-87.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 RON 3.24

$3.73 MX$64.2

-80.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.95 RON 31.83

$5.77 MX$99.3

20.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 RON 6.55

$1.54 MX$26.45

-7.14%

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

$29.8K RON 136.3K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

32.00%

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

$27.0K RON 123.7K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

3.61%

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

$189 RON 865

$91.4 MX$1,573

106.53%

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

$8.31 RON 38.05

$25.20 MX$434

-67.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.69 RON 44.37

$31.24 MX$538

-68.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.39 RON 180

$67.2 MX$1,157

-41.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.47 RON 98.3

$29.11 MX$501

-26.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 RON 31.00

$4.86 MX$83.7

39.30%

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

$464 RON 2,126

$224 MX$3,851

107.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,274 RON 33.3K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

72.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 RON 246

$47.10 MX$811

13.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 RON 169

$44.29 MX$763

-16.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 RON 357

$80.1 MX$1,379

-2.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 RON 436

$92.7 MX$1,596

2.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 RON 1,817

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-62.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 RON 1,352

$390 MX$6,719

-24.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 RON 2,921

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-70.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 RON 2,158

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-62.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,908 RON 8,741

$4,001 MX$68.9K

-52.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,377 RON 6,309

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-78.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

11.45

-37.12%

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

Last update for Medias: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $397 in Medias and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Medias vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $276, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,762 in Medias and $1,899 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: $397 in Medias versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $464 in Medias versus $224 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 17% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,174 in Medias versus $1,266 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 8% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.