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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,983 in Montpellier versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,927 in Montpellier versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,871 in Montpellier versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Montpellier is roughly 58% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montpellier is 48% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €15.11

$11.99 MX$210

44.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 €51.2

$41.78 MX$731

40.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 €11.42

$10.75 MX$188

21.58%

Cappuccino

$3.67 €3.21

$3.50 MX$61.1

4.86%

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

$2.69 €2.35

$1.45 MX$25.33

85.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.66

$0.88 MX$15.47

114.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 €5.18

$2.95 MX$51.6

101.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €3.94

$4.51 MX$78.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.43 MX$25.04

-0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 €2.74

$1.84 MX$32.13

70.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.29

$1.57 MX$27.42

66.88%

Eggs

$4.23 €3.70

$2.51 MX$43.92

68.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.28

$8.28 MX$145

125.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.23 €13.31

$8.43 MX$147

80.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.87 €22.60

$10.68 MX$187

142.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 €2.80

$2.61 MX$45.62

22.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €1.96

$1.44 MX$25.15

55.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$1.96 MX$34.31

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 €3.36

$2.09 MX$36.62

84.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.85 MX$32.37

28.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.17 MX$37.90

22.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.03 MX$18.04

53.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$1.07 MX$18.78

-47.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 €12.17

$4.10 MX$71.7

239.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 €7.16

$10.17 MX$178

-19.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.66

$1.68 MX$29.29

81.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.53 MX$44.17

56.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 €1.57

$0.51 MX$8.90

252.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.70 €15.47

$26.04 MX$455

-32.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.68

$3.23 MX$56.5

65.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 €1.39

$2.41 MX$42.06

-34.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 €29.26

$3.23 MX$56.5

936.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.32 MX$23.10

53.03%

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

$37.4K €32.6K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

25.84%

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

$38.5K €33.6K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

62.70%

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

$189 €165

$82.0 MX$1,434

130.91%

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

$28.13 €24.57

$22.95 MX$401

22.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.31 €29.98

$30.11 MX$527

13.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.30 €33.46

$52.0 MX$909

-26.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.98 €25.32

$18.53 MX$324

56.40%

Cinema Ticket

$13.69 €11.96

$4.98 MX$87.0

174.90%

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

$779 €681

$197 MX$3,452

294.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,217 €7,180

$5,336 MX$93.3K

53.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.0

$35.60 MX$622

185.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 €38.77

$40.33 MX$705

10.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €93.2

$78.8 MX$1,377

35.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 €160

$88.9 MX$1,555

105.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$850 €743

$947 MX$16.6K

-10.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 €669

$474 MX$8,288

61.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 €1,209

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-15.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 €967

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-8.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,115 €4,469

$4,056 MX$70.9K

26.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,926 €3,430

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-39.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,699 €2,358

$654 MX$11.4K

312.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

11.42

-68.13%

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

Last update for Montpellier: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $850 in Montpellier and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montpellier pays 313% 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: $59.0 in Montpellier vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

Montpellier 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 313% higher in Montpellier, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $850 in Montpellier versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Montpellier. 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 $42.00 versus $59.0 in Montpellier. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,983 in Montpellier, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Montpellier. 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 Montpellier, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montpellier 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 58% less than in Montpellier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.