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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,617 in Monaghan versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,681 in Monaghan versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,745 in Monaghan versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Monaghan is roughly 107% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monaghan is 91% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €16.06

$11.60 MX$200

58.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 €50.6

$47.11 MX$812

23.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 €10.76

$11.88 MX$205

3.96%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.79

$3.98 MX$68.6

9.30%

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

$3.05 €2.66

$1.43 MX$24.60

113.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.97

$0.82 MX$14.22

175.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €5.99

$3.19 MX$55.0

115.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 €6.19

$6.79 MX$117

4.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.68 MX$28.89

0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.20 MX$37.88

6.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.72

$1.71 MX$29.45

15.79%

Eggs

$4.41 €3.84

$2.74 MX$47.26

60.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.77 €9.39

$9.58 MX$165

12.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 €11.26

$9.01 MX$155

43.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.07 €12.27

$12.81 MX$221

9.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.66

$2.89 MX$49.81

5.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.10

$1.50 MX$25.81

60.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.15 MX$37.03

51.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 €4.21

$2.26 MX$38.96

113.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.86

$1.98 MX$34.15

8.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.99 MX$34.30

-21.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.23 MX$21.28

8.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.20 MX$20.63

71.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.46 €17.83

$4.55 MX$78.5

349.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 €12.41

$10.37 MX$179

37.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.96

$1.62 MX$27.91

109.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 €3.24

$2.88 MX$49.67

28.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 €2.18

$0.60 MX$10.35

316.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 €91.5

$28.80 MX$497

264.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 €4.56

$5.39 MX$92.9

-2.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.34

$3.73 MX$64.3

-58.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.62 €27.56

$5.77 MX$99.5

448.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.68

$1.54 MX$26.48

25.32%

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

$36.7K €32.0K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

62.64%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

50.49%

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

$247 €215

$91.4 MX$1,576

170.33%

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

$19.67 €17.15

$25.20 MX$435

-21.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €46.03

$31.24 MX$539

69.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.2

$67.2 MX$1,159

-14.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$13.99 €12.20

$4.86 MX$83.8

187.86%

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

$1,046 €911

$224 MX$3,856

367.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,540 €4,829

$4,229 MX$72.9K

31.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.2 €86.5

$47.10 MX$812

110.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.40 €42.19

$44.29 MX$764

9.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €92.1

$80.1 MX$1,381

31.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €117

$92.7 MX$1,598

45.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 €1,151

$1,063 MX$18.3K

24.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 €1,053

$390 MX$6,728

209.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,336 €2,036

$2,149 MX$37.1K

8.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 €1,623

$1,272 MX$21.9K

46.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,033 €3,515

$758 MX$13.1K

431.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

11.45

-63.84%

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

Last update for Monaghan: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,320 in Monaghan and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monaghan pays 432% 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: $58.0 in Monaghan vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 432% higher in Monaghan, 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: $1,320 in Monaghan versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Monaghan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $58.0 in Monaghan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,617 in Monaghan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Monaghan. 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 Monaghan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Monaghan 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 107% less than in Monaghan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.