Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monrovia and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,282 in Monrovia, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. The total is higher in Monrovia despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia
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Monrovia Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Monrovia

🇱🇷 Liberia

$1,282

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monrovia and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Monrovia and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,282 in Monrovia versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Monrovia $1,282
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,894 in Monrovia versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Monrovia $1,894
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,506 in Monrovia versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Monrovia $2,506
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Monrovia is roughly 7% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Monrovia 5% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.42 LRD 1,258

$10.67 MX$199

-30.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 LRD 1,837

$11.79 MX$219

-8.06%

Cappuccino

$3.05 LRD 516

$3.79 MX$70.5

-19.53%

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

$2.03 LRD 344

$1.30 MX$24.14

56.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 LRD 334

$0.83 MX$15.51

137.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.09 LRD 693

$3.15 MX$58.6

29.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LRD 512

$4.93 MX$91.8

-38.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 LRD 355

$1.41 MX$26.22

48.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 LRD 295

$2.20 MX$40.86

-20.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.11 LRD 865

$1.47 MX$27.40

247.62%

Eggs

$3.56 LRD 602

$2.50 MX$46.47

42.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.80 LRD 1,322

$7.29 MX$136

7.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 LRD 1,968

$7.95 MX$148

46.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 LRD 2,375

$12.86 MX$239

9.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 LRD 281

$2.90 MX$53.9

-42.76%

Banana (1kg)

$8.49 LRD 1,439

$1.38 MX$25.74

515.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.13 LRD 1,715

$2.49 MX$46.36

306.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.82 LRD 1,833

$2.03 MX$37.78

433.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 LRD 376

$2.02 MX$37.69

9.90%

Onion (1kg)

$10.82 LRD 1,832

$1.90 MX$35.42

469.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.73 LRD 801

$1.14 MX$21.30

314.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 LRD 334

$1.24 MX$23.06

58.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 LRD 859

$4.27 MX$79.5

18.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.95 LRD 1,177

$9.81 MX$183

-29.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 LRD 431

$1.59 MX$29.51

60.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 LRD 599

$2.75 MX$51.1

28.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 LRD 504

$0.51 MX$9.58

482.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.30 LRD 3,439

$27.39 MX$510

-25.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 LRD 349

$4.76 MX$88.6

-56.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 LRD 306

$3.25 MX$60.5

-44.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.48 LRD 4,317

$5.39 MX$100

372.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 LRD 212

$1.53 MX$28.44

-18.30%

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

$20.2K LRD 3.4M

$21.2K MX$394.8K

-4.55%

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

$14.7K LRD 2.5M

$23.3K MX$432.9K

-36.67%

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

$152 LRD 25.8K

$83.5 MX$1,554

82.61%

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

$22.35 LRD 3,787

$23.19 MX$431

-3.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$177 LRD 29.9K

$27.61 MX$514

539.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.1 LRD 10.5K

$56.4 MX$1,050

10.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.87 LRD 1,671

$28.19 MX$525

-64.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 LRD 865

$5.00 MX$93.1

2.20%

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

$101 LRD 17.1K

$207 MX$3,854

-51.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$991 LRD 167.9K

$5,231 MX$97.4K

-81.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.23 LRD 4,275

$43.45 MX$809

-41.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.55 LRD 5,514

$42.54 MX$792

-23.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.1 LRD 9,163

$72.8 MX$1,354

-25.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 LRD 15.7K

$88.4 MX$1,645

5.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 LRD 42.8K

$995 MX$18.5K

-74.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.8 LRD 16.4K

$382 MX$7,116

-74.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 LRD 108.6K

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-61.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 LRD 45.5K

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-75.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$711 LRD 120.5K

$832 MX$15.5K

-14.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Monrovia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Monrovia

$455 35.5%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 43.4% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monrovia

$351 27.4%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 61.8% $217

Eating Out

Monrovia

$171 13.3%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 17.1% $29

Accommodation & Living

Monrovia

$97 7.6%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 295% $286

Clothing & Footwear

Monrovia

$92 7.2%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 20.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Monrovia

$72 5.6%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 8.1% $5.9

Getting Around

Monrovia

$43 3.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 16.5% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $253 in Monrovia and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇱🇷 Monrovia

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

18:29 6:29 PM

5 h behind Monrovia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,010,970 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Liberian Dollar LRD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LRD = 5.9 USD

1,000 LRD = 5.24 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to LRD – Liberian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇷 Liberian Dollar ($)

Liberian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 169 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.9 USD). 1 EUR = 191 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.24 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to LRD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Monrovia Playa del Carmen 8,340 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Monrovia
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Monrovia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Monrovia. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $253 in Monrovia versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $101 in Monrovia versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Monrovia runs roughly 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Playa del Carmen gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.