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: $1,429 in Monrovia versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,462 in Monrovia versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Monrovia versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Monrovia is roughly 14% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monrovia is 7% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 LRD 1,378

$11.99 MX$209

-36.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 LRD 26.7K

$41.78 MX$728

254.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 LRD 1,989

$10.75 MX$187

2.60%

Cappuccino

$3.41 LRD 615

$3.50 MX$60.9

-2.57%

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

$2.02 LRD 365

$1.45 MX$25.22

39.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 LRD 471

$0.88 MX$15.41

196.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 LRD 507

$2.95 MX$51.3

-4.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 LRD 534

$4.51 MX$78.6

-34.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 LRD 378

$1.43 MX$24.94

46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 LRD 326

$1.84 MX$31.99

-1.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 LRD 935

$1.57 MX$27.31

229.94%

Eggs

$3.62 LRD 654

$2.51 MX$43.74

44.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.94 LRD 2,153

$8.28 MX$144

44.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 LRD 2,156

$8.43 MX$147

41.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.03 LRD 6,498

$10.68 MX$186

237.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 LRD 302

$2.61 MX$45.43

-36.02%

Banana (1kg)

$8.68 LRD 1,566

$1.44 MX$25.04

502.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.12 LRD 1,825

$1.96 MX$34.16

416.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.99 LRD 1,983

$2.09 MX$36.47

425.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 LRD 407

$1.85 MX$32.24

22.16%

Onion (1kg)

$10.57 LRD 1,907

$2.17 MX$37.74

387.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.78 LRD 862

$1.03 MX$17.96

364.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 LRD 365

$1.07 MX$18.70

88.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.01 LRD 904

$4.10 MX$71.4

22.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 LRD 1,228

$10.17 MX$177

-33.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 LRD 438

$1.68 MX$29.17

44.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 LRD 595

$2.53 MX$43.98

30.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 LRD 557

$0.51 MX$8.87

505.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.86 LRD 3,581

$26.04 MX$453

-23.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 LRD 506

$3.23 MX$56.3

-13.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 LRD 217

$2.41 MX$41.88

-50.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 LRD 3,094

$3.23 MX$56.2

430.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 LRD 221

$1.32 MX$23.00

-7.58%

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

$12.3K LRD 2.2M

$29.7K MX$517.1K

-58.49%

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

$15.2K LRD 2.7M

$23.7K MX$412.0K

-35.69%

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

$277 LRD 50.0K

$82.0 MX$1,428

237.86%

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

$22.94 LRD 4,138

$22.95 MX$400

-0.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.7 LRD 16.9K

$30.11 MX$524

211.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.1 LRD 13.9K

$52.0 MX$905

48.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.16 LRD 1,471

$18.53 MX$323

-55.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 LRD 1,800

$4.98 MX$86.6

100.40%

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

$127 LRD 22.9K

$197 MX$3,438

-35.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$893 LRD 161.0K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

-83.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.30 LRD 3,301

$35.60 MX$620

-48.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.28 LRD 6,002

$40.33 MX$702

-17.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.1 LRD 9,945

$78.8 MX$1,371

-29.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 LRD 12.6K

$88.9 MX$1,549

-21.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 LRD 122.5K

$947 MX$16.5K

-28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$94.7 LRD 17.1K

$474 MX$8,254

-80.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 LRD 332.7K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

12.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 LRD 48.4K

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-77.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$688 LRD 124.2K

$654 MX$11.4K

5.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-56.22%

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

Last update for Monrovia: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $679 in Monrovia and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monrovia pays 5% 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: $148 in Monrovia vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $537 vs $249 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 14% 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.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Monrovia, 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: $679 in Monrovia versus $947 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 31% less than in Monrovia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $127 in Monrovia versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,429 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 $1,256 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 14% less than in Monrovia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.