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: $744 in Monteria versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,159 in Monteria versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in Monteria versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Monteria costs roughly 42% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Monteria 44% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 COP 17.9K

$11.94 MX$209

-58.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.80 COP 114.8K

$42.75 MX$748

-25.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 26.8K

$10.59 MX$185

-29.93%

Cappuccino

$1.69 COP 6,110

$3.62 MX$63.4

-53.31%

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

$0.91 COP 3,272

$1.47 MX$25.69

-38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 COP 2,289

$0.94 MX$16.51

-32.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 COP 4,936

$3.09 MX$54.1

-55.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 COP 7,065

$4.46 MX$78.0

-56.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,389

$1.43 MX$24.94

-34.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,641

$1.88 MX$32.97

-31.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,855

$1.63 MX$28.50

-34.36%

Eggs

$1.42 COP 5,138

$2.64 MX$46.26

-46.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.47 COP 16.1K

$8.21 MX$144

-45.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.87 COP 10.4K

$8.29 MX$145

-65.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.82 COP 13.8K

$11.10 MX$194

-65.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 COP 7,148

$2.65 MX$46.40

-25.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.50 COP 1,794

$1.50 MX$26.26

-66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 COP 3,335

$1.99 MX$34.79

-53.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 COP 2,852

$2.08 MX$36.33

-62.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 COP 3,502

$1.79 MX$31.29

-45.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 COP 3,642

$2.18 MX$38.09

-53.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 COP 3,159

$1.08 MX$18.84

-18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 COP 1,695

$1.04 MX$18.15

-54.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 COP 10.3K

$3.97 MX$69.5

-28.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 COP 36.3K

$10.20 MX$179

-1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,261

$1.73 MX$30.22

-47.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,739

$2.50 MX$43.71

-47.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 COP 2,466

$0.52 MX$9.07

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.85 COP 107.8K

$26.97 MX$472

10.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 COP 6,896

$3.14 MX$55.0

-39.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 COP 10.4K

$2.40 MX$42.04

19.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 COP 15.6K

$3.09 MX$54.0

39.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,578

$1.27 MX$22.28

-22.05%

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

$14.2K COP 51.2M

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-54.07%

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

$22.2K COP 80.2M

$23.3K MX$408.0K

-4.75%

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

$95.6 COP 345.2K

$82.0 MX$1,435

16.58%

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

$7.40 COP 26.7K

$22.45 MX$393

-67.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.45 COP 70.2K

$29.66 MX$519

-34.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.63 COP 85.3K

$51.9 MX$908

-54.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.90 COP 35.8K

$18.67 MX$327

-46.97%

Cinema Ticket

$3.94 COP 14.2K

$4.97 MX$87.0

-20.72%

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

$169 COP 609.8K

$198 MX$3,462

-14.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,846 COP 6.7M

$5,273 MX$92.3K

-64.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 COP 218.5K

$36.34 MX$636

66.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.73 COP 71.2K

$40.05 MX$701

-50.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.3 COP 221.3K

$79.9 MX$1,398

-23.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.71 COP 132.5K

$88.9 MX$1,555

-58.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 COP 1.0M

$963 MX$16.9K

-70.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 COP 855.8K

$465 MX$8,133

-48.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 COP 1.9M

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-66.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 COP 1.5M

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-64.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,556 COP 5.6M

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-60.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,362 COP 4.9M

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-78.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$359 COP 1.3M

$720 MX$12.6K

-50.20%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $284 in Monteria and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 101% 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: $32.00 in Monteria vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $133 vs $251 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 73% 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 101% 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: $284 in Monteria versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $169 in Monteria versus $198 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 $744 in Monteria versus $1,287 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 $744 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 73% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.