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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $803 in Buenaventura, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,225 in Buenaventura, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,648 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 58% more than Buenaventura, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Buenaventura are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Buenaventura 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.98 COP 13.9K

198.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$23.67 COP 82.6K

81.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.47 COP 26.1K

42.57%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.50 COP 5,235

130.00%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.86 COP 3,001

74.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.62 COP 2,154

53.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.21 COP 4,220

150.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.24 COP 7,808

105.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.07 COP 3,732

28.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.25 COP 4,355

48.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.14 COP 3,995

41.23%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.16 COP 7,529

19.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$4.33 COP 15.1K

90.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.27 COP 18.4K

58.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.55 COP 26.3K

41.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.51 COP 8,743

4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.11 COP 3,863

34.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.30 COP 4,526

47.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.87 COP 3,025

140.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.13 COP 3,943

64.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.12 COP 3,914

101.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.88 COP 3,063

20.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.70 COP 2,444

55.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.30 COP 8,020

80.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.24 COP 35.7K

1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.14 COP 3,968

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.71 COP 5,971

52.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.73 COP 2,553

-26.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$30.19 COP 105.4K

-10.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.42 COP 4,972

120.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.72 COP 5,990

45.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.97 COP 20.8K

-47.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.00 COP 3,507

27.00%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$17.7K COP 61.7M

71.90%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$25.6K COP 89.4M

-7.97%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$83.1 COP 289.9K

-0.07%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$8.91 COP 31.1K

154.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$22.83 COP 79.7K

29.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$23.22 COP 81.0K

119.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.01 COP 14.0K

22.94%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$235 COP 818.5K

-15.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$5,923 COP 20.7M

-10.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$58.6 COP 204.4K

-37.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$32.76 COP 114.3K

21.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$84.2 COP 293.7K

-4.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$73.4 COP 256.2K

21.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$282 COP 982.8K

239.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$238 COP 832.1K

100.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$520 COP 1.8M

216.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$425 COP 1.5M

188.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,606 COP 5.6M

143.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,236 COP 4.3M

422.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$553 COP 1.9M

20.51%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Buenaventura: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $282 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 21% 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: $250 vs $174 – 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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $803 in Buenaventura – roughly 58% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,204 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 43% 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 $803, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $803 in Buenaventura to $1,271 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.