Cost of Living Comparison Between Montes Claros and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Montes Claros and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $824 in Montes Claros versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,338 in Montes Claros versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,851 in Montes Claros versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Montes Claros costs roughly 37% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Montes Claros 40% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 R$17.68

$11.96 MX$203

-71.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.12 R$160

$47.38 MX$804

-34.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 R$36.73

$11.75 MX$199

-38.98%

Cappuccino

$1.99 R$10.20

$4.12 MX$70.0

-51.70%

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

$1.21 R$6.21

$1.40 MX$23.74

-13.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$4.07

$0.91 MX$15.48

-13.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 R$7.44

$3.21 MX$54.4

-54.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 R$15.36

$7.07 MX$120

-57.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.59

$1.68 MX$28.44

-35.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 R$8.33

$2.15 MX$36.48

-24.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.32

$1.77 MX$30.10

-30.51%

Eggs

$2.15 R$11.00

$2.82 MX$47.76

-23.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 R$45.01

$9.20 MX$156

-4.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 R$20.80

$9.23 MX$157

-56.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 R$42.25

$12.64 MX$214

-34.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R$9.76

$2.95 MX$50.1

-35.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.69

$1.58 MX$26.79

-17.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.90

$2.22 MX$37.70

-48.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.16

$2.36 MX$40.09

-40.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.72

$1.99 MX$33.81

-43.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.16

$1.98 MX$33.58

-48.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.95

$1.24 MX$21.04

-37.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.31

$1.21 MX$20.55

-30.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.61 R$13.37

$4.60 MX$78.1

-43.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 R$39.64

$10.52 MX$178

-26.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R$7.22

$1.69 MX$28.70

-16.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R$11.39

$2.77 MX$47.06

-19.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 R$4.15

$0.60 MX$10.22

35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.53 R$233

$29.70 MX$504

53.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 R$6.81

$5.24 MX$88.8

-74.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R$3.93

$3.65 MX$61.9

-78.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 R$40.81

$5.78 MX$98.1

37.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.28

$1.54 MX$26.09

-33.12%

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

$21.0K R$107.6K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

-7.91%

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

$34.0K R$174.2K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

31.66%

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

$68.1 R$349

$90.7 MX$1,538

-24.95%

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

$13.01 R$66.7

$25.19 MX$427

-48.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.06 R$97.7

$31.75 MX$539

-39.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 R$134

$68.8 MX$1,167

-62.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.93 R$133

$29.37 MX$498

-11.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 R$40.17

$4.86 MX$82.5

61.32%

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

$298 R$1,530

$226 MX$3,828

32.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,604 R$33.9K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

57.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 R$273

$47.38 MX$804

12.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.85 R$250

$43.45 MX$737

12.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 R$473

$80.2 MX$1,361

15.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 R$359

$91.4 MX$1,550

-23.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 R$1,774

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-68.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 R$1,200

$409 MX$6,933

-42.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 R$3,320

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-67.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 R$2,377

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-63.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,578 R$8,089

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-61.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 R$5,213

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-84.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$394 R$2,022

$773 MX$13.1K

-48.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

11.45

-2.88%

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

Last update for Montes Claros: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $346 in Montes Claros and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 96% 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 Montes Claros vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $278 per month, with Montes Claros 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

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

Montes Claros and Playa del Carmen differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($824 vs $1,305 including rent). Montes Claros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 96% 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: $346 in Montes Claros versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montes Claros runs roughly 53% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $298 in Montes Claros versus $226 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $824 in Montes Claros versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montes Claros but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Montes Claros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Montes Claros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.