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: $1,391 in Monrovia versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,469 in Monrovia versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,547 in Monrovia versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Monrovia is roughly 7% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monrovia is 4% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.31 LRD 1,329

$11.73 MX$203

-37.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 LRD 27.2K

$41.62 MX$720

259.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 LRD 2,036

$10.64 MX$184

5.26%

Cappuccino

$3.38 LRD 614

$3.52 MX$60.9

-3.98%

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

$2.01 LRD 366

$1.51 MX$26.12

33.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 LRD 491

$0.97 MX$16.84

178.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 LRD 494

$2.95 MX$51.0

-7.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LRD 548

$4.45 MX$77.0

-32.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 LRD 396

$1.38 MX$23.93

57.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 LRD 329

$1.89 MX$32.72

-4.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.01 LRD 911

$1.64 MX$28.32

205.49%

Eggs

$3.61 LRD 656

$2.51 MX$43.34

43.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 LRD 2,108

$8.34 MX$144

39.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 LRD 2,119

$8.34 MX$144

39.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.19 LRD 6,576

$10.73 MX$186

237.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 LRD 306

$2.60 MX$45.04

-35.00%

Banana (1kg)

$8.41 LRD 1,529

$1.46 MX$25.20

476.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.27 LRD 1,866

$1.90 MX$32.87

440.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.81 LRD 1,964

$2.08 MX$35.91

419.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 LRD 406

$1.78 MX$30.71

25.28%

Onion (1kg)

$10.69 LRD 1,942

$2.19 MX$37.80

388.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.70 LRD 855

$1.04 MX$17.99

351.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LRD 354

$1.08 MX$18.62

80.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 LRD 904

$4.08 MX$70.6

22.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.94 LRD 1,260

$10.32 MX$178

-32.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 LRD 449

$1.71 MX$29.61

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 LRD 580

$2.58 MX$44.54

23.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 LRD 552

$0.51 MX$8.81

496.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.03 LRD 3,639

$26.46 MX$458

-24.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 LRD 512

$3.26 MX$56.4

-13.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 LRD 220

$2.49 MX$43.09

-51.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.72 LRD 3,220

$3.25 MX$56.2

445.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 LRD 223

$1.31 MX$22.61

-6.11%

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

$12.3K LRD 2.2M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-59.29%

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

$14.9K LRD 2.7M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-36.50%

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

$269 LRD 48.9K

$82.9 MX$1,433

224.67%

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

$22.55 LRD 4,097

$22.22 MX$384

1.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$94.4 LRD 17.2K

$29.34 MX$507

221.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.6 LRD 14.1K

$51.6 MX$893

50.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.12 LRD 1,476

$18.32 MX$317

-55.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.54 LRD 1,734

$5.07 MX$87.6

88.17%

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

$130 LRD 23.6K

$201 MX$3,473

-35.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$902 LRD 163.9K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-82.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.64 LRD 3,387

$36.92 MX$639

-49.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.24 LRD 6,040

$39.79 MX$688

-16.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.9 LRD 10.3K

$78.5 MX$1,357

-27.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.5 LRD 12.4K

$87.1 MX$1,506

-21.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 LRD 120.9K

$973 MX$16.8K

-31.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$94.2 LRD 17.1K

$468 MX$8,090

-79.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 LRD 332.0K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

11.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 LRD 49.2K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-77.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$705 LRD 128.1K

$664 MX$11.5K

6.16%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $666 in Monrovia and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monrovia pays 6% 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: $149 in Monrovia vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $533 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 7% 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.

Monrovia pays 6% more on average, 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: $666 in Monrovia versus $973 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 32% less than in Monrovia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $130 in Monrovia versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,391 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 $1,297 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 7% less than in Monrovia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.