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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $802 in Buenaventura, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,222 in Buenaventura, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,642 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 57% 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

$11.72 MX$203

$3.95 COP 12.4K

196.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$23.26 COP 73.2K

80.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.36 COP 23.2K

42.80%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.55 COP 4,865

131.61%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.94 COP 2,958

60.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.56 COP 1,779

64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.21 COP 3,815

144.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.21 COP 6,962

99.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.05 COP 3,311

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.29 COP 4,068

45.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.19 COP 3,737

31.09%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.20 COP 6,940

18.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$4.57 COP 14.4K

82.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.22 COP 16.4K

59.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.40 COP 23.3K

46.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.55 COP 8,021

6.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.11 COP 3,499

36.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.29 COP 4,070

44.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.92 COP 2,889

138.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.16 COP 3,668

60.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.13 COP 3,553

97.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.80 COP 2,520

33.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.65 COP 2,061

67.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.39 COP 7,529

75.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$13.47 COP 42.4K

-22.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.13 COP 3,572

46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.74 COP 5,472

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.72 COP 2,276

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$29.78 COP 93.7K

-12.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.41 COP 4,450

118.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.71 COP 5,393

40.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.88 COP 18.5K

-46.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.94 COP 2,957

39.36%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$17.8K COP 56.0M

67.44%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$26.1K COP 82.1M

-10.53%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$83.5 COP 262.9K

-2.65%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$9.22 COP 29.0K

144.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$22.85 COP 71.9K

31.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$23.28 COP 73.3K

127.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.05 COP 12.7K

21.48%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$239 COP 753.6K

-16.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$5,936 COP 18.7M

-12.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$58.5 COP 184.0K

-38.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$32.81 COP 103.3K

22.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$84.5 COP 266.1K

-5.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$71.6 COP 225.3K

20.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$279 COP 878.1K

250.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$239 COP 751.9K

97.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$526 COP 1.7M

213.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$433 COP 1.4M

178.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,817 COP 5.7M

117.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,410 COP 4.4M

368.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$626 COP 2.0M

8.01%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Buenaventura: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $279 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 8% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Buenaventura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $181 – 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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $802 in Buenaventura – roughly 57% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,203 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 39% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $23.00 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 $802, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $802 in Buenaventura to $1,260 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.