Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina del Campo and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina del Campo and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,686 in Medina del Campo versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,467 in Medina del Campo versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Medina del Campo versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Medina del Campo is roughly 33% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medina del Campo is 23% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 €12.18

$11.60 MX$200

20.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 €49.97

$47.11 MX$811

21.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.31 €14.20

$11.88 MX$205

37.29%

Cappuccino

$1.58 €1.38

$3.98 MX$68.5

-60.30%

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

$2.89 €2.52

$1.43 MX$24.57

102.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.50

$0.82 MX$14.20

109.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 €2.48

$3.19 MX$54.9

-10.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.54

$6.79 MX$117

-73.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.68 MX$28.85

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 €1.60

$2.20 MX$37.83

-16.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.71 MX$29.41

-18.13%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.93

$2.74 MX$47.20

64.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 €10.81

$9.58 MX$165

29.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.48 €7.38

$9.01 MX$155

-5.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 €12.04

$12.81 MX$221

7.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 €3.28

$2.89 MX$49.74

30.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.50 MX$25.78

17.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 €1.91

$2.15 MX$36.98

2.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 €3.49

$2.26 MX$38.91

76.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.98 MX$34.10

-21.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 €2.09

$1.99 MX$34.26

21.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.23 MX$21.25

9.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$1.20 MX$20.60

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.80

$4.55 MX$78.3

46.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.27 €8.94

$10.37 MX$179

-0.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.62 MX$27.88

-12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.88 MX$49.60

-27.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.60 MX$10.34

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.43 €29.97

$28.80 MX$496

19.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.59 €4.86

$5.39 MX$92.8

3.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.21

$3.73 MX$64.2

-62.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.65 €28.41

$5.77 MX$99.3

465.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.54 MX$26.45

17.53%

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

$39.5K €34.4K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

75.10%

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

$30.6K €26.6K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

17.25%

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

$150 €130

$91.4 MX$1,573

63.82%

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

$18.70 €16.28

$25.20 MX$434

-25.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.53 €22.22

$31.24 MX$538

-18.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.98 €40.89

$67.2 MX$1,157

-30.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 €14.56

$29.11 MX$501

-42.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 €8.10

$4.86 MX$83.7

91.56%

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

$494 €430

$224 MX$3,851

120.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,282

$4,229 MX$72.8K

152.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €87.2

$47.10 MX$811

112.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 €28.49

$44.29 MX$763

-26.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.2

$80.1 MX$1,379

35.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €112

$92.7 MX$1,596

38.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 €818

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-11.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 €616

$390 MX$6,719

81.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 €1,198

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-35.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €928

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-16.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,399 €2,958

$4,001 MX$68.9K

-15.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,278 €1,983

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-64.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,377 €1,198

$758 MX$13.1K

81.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

11.45

-70.04%

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

Last update for Medina del Campo: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $939 in Medina del Campo and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medina del Campo pays 82% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $57.0 in Medina del Campo vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $276 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Medina del Campo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $939 in Medina del Campo versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 20% less than in Medina del Campo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Medina del Campo versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,686 in Medina del Campo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Medina del Campo. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Medina del Campo 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Medina del Campo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.