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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $744 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,224 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,704 in Cali.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 74% more expensive than Cali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cali 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.65 COP 13.0K

221.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$29.25 COP 104.5K

42.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.36 COP 26.3K

44.57%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.61 COP 5,754

118.63%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.94 COP 3,353

60.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.55 COP 1,979

76.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.06 COP 3,775

178.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.56 COP 9,130

73.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.22 COP 4,347

13.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.53 COP 5,465

23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.21 COP 4,319

35.54%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.46 COP 8,779

2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.29 COP 15.3K

94.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.47 COP 19.5K

52.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.60 COP 27.1K

41.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.40 COP 8,570

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.97 COP 3,474

50.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.20 COP 4,274

58.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.27 COP 4,548

63.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.88 COP 3,148

102.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.11 COP 3,949

97.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.75 COP 2,679

38.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.65 COP 2,323

66.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.90 COP 10.3K

40.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$11.48 COP 41.0K

-10.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.10 COP 3,932

55.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.84 COP 6,584

40.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.67 COP 2,407

-23.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$20.20 COP 72.1K

30.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.54 COP 5,485

111.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.88 COP 6,707

32.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$9.80 COP 35.0K

-66.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.93 COP 3,304

40.86%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$21.4K COP 76.4M

41.58%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$30.3K COP 108.3M

-22.75%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$80.9 COP 289.0K

2.38%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$8.78 COP 31.4K

153.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$23.99 COP 85.7K

22.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$19.60 COP 70.0K

163.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$14.79 COP 52.8K

23.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.87 COP 17.4K

4.11%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$226 COP 807.0K

-11.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$6,039 COP 21.6M

-13.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$63.7 COP 227.5K

-42.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$44.16 COP 157.7K

-9.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$78.6 COP 280.5K

-0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$89.5 COP 319.6K

-2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$234 COP 834.7K

316.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$186 COP 665.2K

151.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$609 COP 2.2M

169.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$408 COP 1.5M

199.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,101 COP 3.9M

258.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$890 COP 3.2M

630.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$494 COP 1.8M

34.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.58

-1.38%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cali: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $234 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 34% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $182 per month, with Cali 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

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

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 34% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $234 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $226 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $744 in Cali versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.