Cost of Living Comparison Between Montalto Dora and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Montalto Dora and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,635 in Montalto Dora versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Montalto Dora versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,445 in Montalto Dora versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Montalto Dora is roughly 30% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montalto Dora is 22% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.75 €5.03

$11.99 MX$209

-52.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.7 €69.8

$41.78 MX$728

90.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 €7.94

$10.75 MX$187

-15.63%

Cappuccino

$2.23 €1.95

$3.50 MX$60.9

-36.29%

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

$2.87 €2.51

$1.45 MX$25.22

97.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.88 MX$15.41

70.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.04

$2.95 MX$51.3

95.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 €4.95

$4.51 MX$78.6

25.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.39

$1.43 MX$24.94

10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 €2.30

$1.84 MX$31.99

42.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.46

$1.57 MX$27.31

78.98%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.59

$2.51 MX$43.74

108.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.96 €18.36

$8.28 MX$144

153.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.57 €11.89

$8.43 MX$147

60.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.17 €15.91

$10.68 MX$186

70.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.61 MX$45.43

-5.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.89

$1.44 MX$25.04

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.71

$1.96 MX$34.16

-0.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.09 MX$36.47

42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.85 MX$32.24

-11.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 €1.16

$2.17 MX$37.74

-39.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.03 MX$17.96

73.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.53

$1.07 MX$18.70

-42.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.05 €6.18

$4.10 MX$71.4

71.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 €6.84

$10.17 MX$177

-23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.68 MX$29.17

1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.53 MX$43.98

-24.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.51 MX$8.87

250.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.35 €37.96

$26.04 MX$453

66.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 €5.05

$3.23 MX$56.3

78.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.34

$2.41 MX$41.88

-36.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.05 €25.44

$3.23 MX$56.2

799.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.32 MX$23.00

53.79%

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

$26.0K €22.8K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

-12.50%

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

$34.2K €29.9K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

44.35%

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

$178 €156

$82.0 MX$1,428

116.83%

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

$14.77 €12.94

$22.95 MX$400

-35.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.95 €26.23

$30.11 MX$524

-0.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 €48.47

$52.0 MX$905

6.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 €20.37

$18.53 MX$323

25.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.03 €9.66

$4.98 MX$86.6

121.49%

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

$668 €585

$197 MX$3,438

238.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,568 €4,001

$5,336 MX$92.9K

-14.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €81.1

$35.60 MX$620

159.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.54 €39.00

$40.33 MX$702

10.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 €86.0

$78.8 MX$1,371

24.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €149

$88.9 MX$1,549

91.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 €658

$947 MX$16.5K

-20.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 €505

$474 MX$8,254

21.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 €1,082

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-24.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 €815

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-23.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 €2,734

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-23.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,286 €2,002

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-64.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.83

11.42

-57.71%

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

Last update for Montalto Dora: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $751 in Montalto Dora and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Montalto Dora vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,453 in Montalto Dora and $1,884 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $751 in Montalto Dora 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 66% less than in Montalto Dora. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $668 in Montalto Dora 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 $1,635 in Montalto Dora, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Montalto Dora. 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 Montalto Dora, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montalto Dora 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 30% less than in Montalto Dora. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.