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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $808 in Buenaventura, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,232 in Buenaventura, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,655 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 59% more than Buenaventura, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Buenaventura are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Buenaventura 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.97 COP 14.3K

200.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$23.95 COP 86.4K

78.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.06 COP 25.5K

50.00%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.50 COP 5,414

141.33%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.88 COP 3,171

67.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.61 COP 2,195

54.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.15 COP 4,163

168.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.20 COP 7,928

102.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.06 COP 3,818

34.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.24 COP 4,485

51.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.17 COP 4,235

39.32%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.13 COP 7,688

23.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$4.42 COP 16.0K

85.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.16 COP 18.6K

60.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$7.32 COP 26.4K

51.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.56 COP 9,256

3.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.06 COP 3,840

41.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.30 COP 4,706

53.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.88 COP 3,175

136.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.11 COP 3,993

61.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.16 COP 4,204

87.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.80 COP 2,884

35.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.66 COP 2,380

57.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.31 COP 8,325

71.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$12.07 COP 43.6K

-15.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.12 COP 4,055

54.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.71 COP 6,191

46.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.71 COP 2,565

-26.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$30.52 COP 110.2K

-11.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.42 COP 5,133

121.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.73 COP 6,259

38.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-47.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.94 COP 3,402

35.11%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

70.93%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$25.2K COP 90.9M

-7.35%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$81.1 COP 292.8K

1.11%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.06 COP 32.7K

147.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$22.56 COP 81.4K

31.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$23.16 COP 83.6K

123.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.02 COP 14.5K

23.63%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$236 COP 851.9K

-16.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$5,845 COP 21.1M

-9.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$59.3 COP 213.9K

-38.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$32.49 COP 117.3K

23.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$84.5 COP 305.1K

-5.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$72.5 COP 261.8K

22.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$283 COP 1.0M

240.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$234 COP 844.2K

98.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$522 COP 1.9M

205.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$422 COP 1.5M

186.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,648 COP 5.9M

139.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,386 COP 5.0M

365.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$555 COP 2.0M

29.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.18

-13.35%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Buenaventura: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $283 in Buenaventura. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Buenaventura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $176 – making Buenaventura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $808 in Buenaventura – roughly 59% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,213 in Buenaventura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Buenaventura, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $24.00 in Buenaventura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Buenaventura, where all-in costs run around $808, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Buenaventura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $808 in Buenaventura to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Buenaventura. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.