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: $764 in Monteria versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,174 in Monteria versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,584 in Monteria versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Monteria costs roughly 39% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Monteria 43% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 COP 15.6K

$11.72 MX$203

-57.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.72 COP 99.9K

$41.89 MX$725

-24.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 23.3K

$10.51 MX$182

-29.40%

Cappuccino

$1.78 COP 5,590

$3.59 MX$62.0

-50.42%

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

$0.87 COP 2,736

$1.51 MX$26.10

-42.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 COP 1,910

$0.92 MX$15.83

-33.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 COP 4,302

$2.96 MX$51.2

-53.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 COP 6,045

$4.41 MX$76.3

-56.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 COP 2,916

$1.40 MX$24.16

-33.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,974

$1.88 MX$32.60

-32.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,202

$1.56 MX$26.97

-34.62%

Eggs

$1.49 COP 4,683

$2.61 MX$45.14

-42.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.55 COP 14.3K

$8.32 MX$144

-45.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.85 COP 8,963

$8.35 MX$145

-65.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.84 COP 12.1K

$10.86 MX$188

-64.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 COP 6,150

$2.71 MX$46.93

-28.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.46 COP 1,445

$1.51 MX$26.04

-69.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 COP 2,905

$1.87 MX$32.41

-50.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 COP 2,593

$2.19 MX$37.89

-62.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 COP 2,854

$1.86 MX$32.14

-51.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,200

$2.23 MX$38.59

-54.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 COP 2,693

$1.07 MX$18.48

-19.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 COP 1,580

$1.09 MX$18.79

-54.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 COP 9,029

$4.19 MX$72.4

-31.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.02 COP 34.7K

$10.43 MX$180

5.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,871

$1.66 MX$28.68

-45.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,154

$2.61 MX$45.19

-49.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 COP 2,172

$0.54 MX$9.37

27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.78 COP 93.7K

$26.16 MX$453

13.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 COP 5,930

$3.08 MX$53.3

-38.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.84 COP 8,946

$2.40 MX$41.61

18.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 COP 13.9K

$3.13 MX$54.1

41.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 2,975

$1.31 MX$22.69

-28.24%

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

$13.9K COP 43.7M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-53.45%

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

$22.2K COP 69.8M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-4.95%

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

$96.0 COP 302.2K

$81.3 MX$1,406

18.09%

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

$7.35 COP 23.1K

$22.56 MX$390

-67.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 COP 61.5K

$30.05 MX$520

-35.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.27 COP 73.2K

$52.9 MX$915

-56.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.81 COP 30.9K

$18.39 MX$318

-46.66%

Cinema Ticket

$3.81 COP 12.0K

$4.92 MX$85.1

-22.56%

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

$170 COP 533.9K

$201 MX$3,474

-15.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,847 COP 5.8M

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-64.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 COP 194.2K

$35.92 MX$622

71.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 COP 61.0K

$40.13 MX$694

-51.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.8 COP 188.3K

$79.7 MX$1,379

-24.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.20 COP 114.0K

$86.5 MX$1,496

-58.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 COP 872.9K

$978 MX$16.9K

-71.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 COP 754.2K

$470 MX$8,140

-49.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 COP 1.7M

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-68.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 COP 1.4M

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-63.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,582 COP 5.0M

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-59.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,388 COP 4.4M

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-78.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$403 COP 1.3M

$677 MX$11.7K

-40.42%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $277 in Monteria and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 68% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $135 vs $252 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 65% 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, salaries run 68% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $277 in Monteria versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $170 in Monteria versus $201 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 86% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $764 in Monteria versus $1,260 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 $764 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 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.