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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,300 in Monrovia versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,887 in Monrovia versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,474 in Monrovia versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Monrovia is roughly 3% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Monrovia 5% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.39 LRD 1,273

$11.60 MX$200

-36.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 LRD 1,907

$11.88 MX$205

-6.90%

Cappuccino

$3.04 LRD 524

$3.98 MX$68.5

-23.62%

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

$1.94 LRD 335

$1.43 MX$24.57

35.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 LRD 351

$0.82 MX$14.20

148.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 LRD 696

$3.19 MX$54.9

26.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LRD 521

$6.79 MX$117

-55.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 LRD 370

$1.68 MX$28.85

27.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 LRD 313

$2.20 MX$37.83

-17.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 LRD 905

$1.71 MX$29.41

207.02%

Eggs

$3.68 LRD 634

$2.74 MX$47.20

34.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.94 LRD 1,368

$9.58 MX$165

-17.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 LRD 2,025

$9.01 MX$155

30.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 LRD 2,331

$12.81 MX$221

5.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 LRD 276

$2.89 MX$49.74

-44.64%

Banana (1kg)

$8.23 LRD 1,418

$1.50 MX$25.78

448.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.28 LRD 1,771

$2.15 MX$36.98

378.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$11.10 LRD 1,913

$2.26 MX$38.91

391.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 LRD 375

$1.98 MX$34.10

9.60%

Onion (1kg)

$10.77 LRD 1,856

$1.99 MX$34.26

441.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.76 LRD 821

$1.23 MX$21.25

286.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 LRD 342

$1.20 MX$20.60

65.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 LRD 883

$4.55 MX$78.3

12.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.02 LRD 1,211

$10.37 MX$179

-32.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 LRD 435

$1.62 MX$27.88

56.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 LRD 608

$2.88 MX$49.60

22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 LRD 532

$0.60 MX$10.34

415.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.12 LRD 3,468

$28.80 MX$496

-30.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 LRD 335

$5.39 MX$92.8

-63.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 LRD 313

$3.73 MX$64.2

-51.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.79 LRD 4,273

$5.77 MX$99.3

329.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 LRD 220

$1.54 MX$26.45

-17.53%

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

$19.7K LRD 3.4M

$22.5K MX$388.3K

-12.76%

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

$15.0K LRD 2.6M

$26.1K MX$448.7K

-42.26%

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

$149 LRD 25.8K

$91.4 MX$1,573

63.49%

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

$22.31 LRD 3,846

$25.20 MX$434

-11.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$183 LRD 31.5K

$31.24 MX$538

484.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.8 LRD 10.8K

$67.2 MX$1,157

-6.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.16 LRD 1,751

$29.11 MX$501

-65.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 LRD 838

$4.86 MX$83.7

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

$101 LRD 17.4K

$224 MX$3,851

-54.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,018 LRD 175.5K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

-75.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.62 LRD 4,243

$47.10 MX$811

-47.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 LRD 5,562

$44.29 MX$763

-27.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.5 LRD 9,393

$80.1 MX$1,379

-31.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 LRD 16.2K

$92.7 MX$1,596

1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 LRD 43.9K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-76.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.3 LRD 16.6K

$390 MX$6,719

-75.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 LRD 112.5K

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-69.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 LRD 46.4K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-78.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$686 LRD 118.3K

$758 MX$13.1K

-9.48%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $255 in Monrovia and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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 3% 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 10% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $255 in Monrovia versus $1,063 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 $224 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 Playa del Carmen runs roughly 43% less than in Monrovia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,300 in Monrovia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Monrovia. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Monrovia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.