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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $752 in Monteria versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,162 in Monteria versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,572 in Monteria versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Monteria costs roughly 41% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Monteria 44% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.95 COP 17.3K

$11.87 MX$204

-58.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.49 COP 109.9K

$42.90 MX$736

-26.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 COP 25.0K

$10.65 MX$183

-32.86%

Cappuccino

$1.77 COP 6,175

$3.45 MX$59.2

-48.70%

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

$0.87 COP 3,054

$1.50 MX$25.81

-42.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,233

$0.95 MX$16.28

-32.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 COP 4,533

$3.03 MX$51.9

-57.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 COP 6,879

$4.61 MX$79.1

-57.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 COP 3,199

$1.38 MX$23.61

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 COP 4,601

$1.85 MX$31.70

-28.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,545

$1.61 MX$27.65

-36.65%

Eggs

$1.49 COP 5,202

$2.59 MX$44.51

-42.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.62 COP 16.1K

$8.26 MX$142

-44.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.87 COP 10.0K

$8.37 MX$144

-65.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.83 COP 13.4K

$10.66 MX$183

-64.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,657

$2.63 MX$45.12

-27.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 COP 1,637

$1.49 MX$25.53

-68.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 COP 3,499

$1.92 MX$32.94

-47.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 COP 2,725

$2.09 MX$35.81

-62.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 COP 3,090

$1.86 MX$31.88

-52.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 COP 3,478

$2.26 MX$38.81

-55.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 COP 3,068

$1.06 MX$18.23

-16.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 COP 1,612

$1.09 MX$18.67

-57.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 COP 9,576

$4.15 MX$71.2

-33.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 COP 35.1K

$10.39 MX$178

-3.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,943

$1.72 MX$29.59

-51.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 4,459

$2.61 MX$44.85

-50.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 COP 2,397

$0.54 MX$9.30

27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.41 COP 106.1K

$26.94 MX$462

12.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 COP 6,847

$3.13 MX$53.7

-37.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 COP 9,821

$2.51 MX$43.09

11.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 COP 15.0K

$3.15 MX$54.1

36.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 COP 3,260

$1.27 MX$21.88

-26.77%

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

$14.0K COP 49.0M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-53.76%

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

$22.5K COP 78.5M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-4.52%

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

$95.7 COP 334.0K

$83.0 MX$1,425

15.29%

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

$7.43 COP 25.9K

$22.71 MX$390

-67.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 COP 66.3K

$29.46 MX$506

-35.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.46 COP 81.9K

$51.0 MX$875

-54.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 COP 33.9K

$18.33 MX$315

-46.97%

Cinema Ticket

$3.85 COP 13.4K

$4.93 MX$84.5

-21.91%

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

$168 COP 587.1K

$197 MX$3,386

-14.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,852 COP 6.5M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-64.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 COP 207.8K

$36.90 MX$633

61.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.22 COP 67.1K

$39.89 MX$685

-51.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 COP 210.0K

$80.0 MX$1,373

-24.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.34 COP 126.8K

$89.5 MX$1,536

-59.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 COP 998.0K

$956 MX$16.4K

-70.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 COP 845.5K

$477 MX$8,189

-49.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 COP 1.9M

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-67.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 COP 1.5M

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-64.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,569 COP 5.5M

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-59.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,245 COP 4.3M

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-80.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$358 COP 1.2M

$667 MX$11.4K

-46.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-12.43%

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

Last update for Monteria: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $286 in Monteria and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 87% 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: $31.00 in Monteria vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $133 vs $250 per month, with Monteria 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

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

Monteria wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monteria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 87% less. 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: $286 in Monteria versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $168 in Monteria versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $752 in Monteria versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monteria but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Monteria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monteria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $752 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monteria hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Monteria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.