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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,288 in Neiva versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,038 in Neiva versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,787 in Neiva versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs are close between Neiva and Playa del Carmen; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Neiva 6% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.82 COP 24.6K

$11.71 MX$199

-33.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.76 COP 131.5K

$46.59 MX$791

-10.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.76 COP 30.7K

$11.65 MX$198

-16.22%

Cappuccino

$2.55 COP 8,017

$4.09 MX$69.5

-37.65%

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

$1.36 COP 4,277

$1.37 MX$23.34

-0.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 COP 2,759

$0.83 MX$14.16

6.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 COP 6,073

$3.35 MX$56.9

-42.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 COP 12.1K

$6.91 MX$117

-44.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 COP 5,205

$1.73 MX$29.33

-4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 COP 7,762

$2.26 MX$38.39

8.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 COP 4,915

$1.77 MX$30.05

-11.86%

Eggs

$3.77 COP 11.9K

$2.73 MX$46.41

38.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.25 COP 22.8K

$9.18 MX$156

-21.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.57 COP 23.8K

$8.92 MX$151

-15.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.75 COP 33.9K

$12.60 MX$214

-14.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 COP 10.6K

$3.02 MX$51.3

10.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 COP 5,620

$1.57 MX$26.68

13.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 COP 5,874

$2.13 MX$36.10

-12.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 COP 5,456

$2.26 MX$38.46

-23.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,631

$2.00 MX$34.04

-26.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 COP 4,370

$2.06 MX$35.06

-32.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 COP 4,315

$1.18 MX$20.04

16.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,599

$1.20 MX$20.45

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 COP 13.5K

$4.63 MX$78.7

-7.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 COP 39.8K

$10.69 MX$182

18.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,465

$1.62 MX$27.50

-12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 COP 9,339

$2.88 MX$48.93

3.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,720

$0.57 MX$9.74

107.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 COP 7,507

$5.45 MX$92.5

-56.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 COP 7,573

$3.70 MX$62.9

-35.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.78 COP 30.8K

$5.98 MX$102

63.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,089

$1.55 MX$26.38

-16.13%

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

$22.0K COP 69.4M

$22.3K MX$379.2K

-1.30%

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

$36.1K COP 113.8M

$25.9K MX$440.7K

39.26%

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

$125 COP 394.6K

$89.1 MX$1,514

40.59%

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

$16.34 COP 51.5K

$25.04 MX$425

-34.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.01 COP 97.7K

$31.50 MX$535

-1.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.23 COP 129.8K

$67.8 MX$1,151

-39.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 COP 24.7K

$5.05 MX$85.8

55.45%

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

$477 COP 1.5M

$225 MX$3,820

111.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,531 COP 20.6M

$4,222 MX$71.7K

54.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.9 COP 257.9K

$47.44 MX$806

72.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.60 COP 156.2K

$44.98 MX$764

10.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 COP 450.2K

$82.0 MX$1,392

74.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 COP 347.3K

$92.1 MX$1,564

19.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 COP 1.9M

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-44.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 COP 1.3M

$405 MX$6,884

-0.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 COP 2.8M

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-53.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$987 COP 3.1M

$1,301 MX$22.1K

-24.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,181 COP 6.9M

$3,995 MX$67.9K

-45.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,848 COP 5.8M

$6,626 MX$112.5K

-72.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.80%

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

Last update for Neiva: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $595 in Neiva and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Neiva vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $277 per month, with Neiva 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

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

You'd need roughly $1,932 in Neiva and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $595 in Neiva versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Neiva – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,288 in Neiva versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Neiva but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Neiva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Neiva delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,288 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Neiva hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Neiva wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.