Cost of Living Comparison Between Montecatini Terme and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Montecatini Terme and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Montecatini Terme versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,657 in Montecatini Terme versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,493 in Montecatini Terme versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Montecatini Terme is roughly 44% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montecatini Terme is 35% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.99 €17.86

$11.61 MX$201

80.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.99 €32.33

$42.75 MX$742

-11.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 €10.04

$10.60 MX$184

11.23%

Cappuccino

$1.66 €1.41

$3.59 MX$62.3

-53.76%

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

$2.28 €1.94

$1.45 MX$25.21

57.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.00

$0.90 MX$15.58

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 €4.34

$3.03 MX$52.6

68.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 €4.85

$4.56 MX$79.2

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.19

$1.45 MX$25.20

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 €2.34

$1.83 MX$31.72

50.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.61 MX$27.92

58.39%

Eggs

$4.61 €3.92

$2.54 MX$44.05

81.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 €8.92

$8.54 MX$148

22.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.24 €12.97

$8.47 MX$147

79.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.28 €18.96

$10.86 MX$189

105.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.31

$2.73 MX$47.37

-0.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 €2.35

$1.49 MX$25.91

85.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 €3.10

$1.94 MX$33.73

87.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 €3.42

$2.16 MX$37.57

86.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.39

$1.85 MX$32.05

51.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 €1.50

$2.19 MX$38.00

-19.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.33

$1.07 MX$18.62

45.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 €0.38

$1.08 MX$18.81

-59.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.50 €5.53

$4.06 MX$70.5

60.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 €8.11

$10.46 MX$182

-8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.91

$1.65 MX$28.71

-35.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.29

$2.55 MX$44.23

-40.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.47

$0.56 MX$9.65

207.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.01 €36.60

$26.20 MX$455

64.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 €5.86

$3.14 MX$54.5

119.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 €0.95

$2.37 MX$41.17

-52.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.72 €27.85

$3.24 MX$56.2

909.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.72

$1.31 MX$22.81

54.20%

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

$27.9K €23.7K

$30.5K MX$530.2K

-8.73%

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

$37.5K €31.9K

$23.8K MX$413.6K

57.56%

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

$265 €226

$83.1 MX$1,443

219.11%

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

$11.46 €9.75

$22.15 MX$385

-48.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.72 €26.15

$29.37 MX$510

4.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 €51.1

$51.2 MX$889

17.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.18 €19.72

$18.69 MX$324

24.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 €8.59

$4.89 MX$84.9

106.34%

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

$714 €608

$199 MX$3,449

259.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,623

$5,207 MX$90.4K

117.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.4 €83.8

$35.93 MX$624

173.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.21 €29.96

$39.39 MX$684

-10.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.3

$80.3 MX$1,394

27.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €111

$87.6 MX$1,520

49.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 €638

$963 MX$16.7K

-22.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 €498

$482 MX$8,370

21.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 €1,050

$1,645 MX$28.6K

-24.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 €795

$1,192 MX$20.7K

-21.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,687 €2,287

$3,957 MX$68.7K

-32.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,331 €1,983

$6,513 MX$113.1K

-64.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-64.97%

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

Last update for Montecatini Terme: April 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Montecatini Terme and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Montecatini Terme vs $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $360 vs $253, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,733 in Montecatini Terme and $1,894 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: $750 in Montecatini Terme versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Montecatini Terme. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $38.00 in Montecatini Terme. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,822 in Montecatini Terme, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Montecatini Terme. 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 Montecatini Terme, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montecatini Terme 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 44% less than in Montecatini Terme. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.