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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $747 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,229 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,710 in Cali.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 68% more expensive than in Cali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Cali 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$3.65 COP 11.9K

228.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$29.20 COP 94.9K

43.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$7.41 COP 24.1K

45.07%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$1.58 COP 5,130

121.52%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$0.95 COP 3,095

52.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$0.60 COP 1,940

46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$1.01 COP 3,297

192.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$2.61 COP 8,484

72.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$1.24 COP 4,029

15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$1.47 COP 4,770

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$1.25 COP 4,076

25.60%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$2.48 COP 8,065

1.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$4.33 COP 14.1K

91.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.36 COP 17.4K

57.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$7.49 COP 24.4K

42.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$2.49 COP 8,108

4.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$0.92 COP 2,986

56.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$1.15 COP 3,749

70.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$1.31 COP 4,260

59.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$0.89 COP 2,881

107.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$1.11 COP 3,593

95.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$0.75 COP 2,427

37.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$0.68 COP 2,211

57.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$2.91 COP 9,454

40.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$12.88 COP 41.9K

-21.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$1.07 COP 3,478

57.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$1.86 COP 6,040

36.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.73 COP 2,386

-30.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

$20.17 COP 65.6K

29.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$1.55 COP 5,043

108.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$1.90 COP 6,171

26.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$9.45 COP 30.7K

-65.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$0.98 COP 3,190

34.69%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$21.9K COP 71.3M

35.41%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$29.6K COP 96.2M

-20.05%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$83.3 COP 270.9K

-1.57%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$8.94 COP 29.1K

156.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$24.55 COP 79.8K

22.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$19.79 COP 64.3K

162.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$14.72 COP 47.9K

25.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$4.88 COP 15.9K

2.05%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$222 COP 720.7K

-10.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$5,871 COP 19.1M

-9.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$64.0 COP 208.1K

-44.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$43.51 COP 141.5K

-7.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$76.3 COP 248.1K

3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$89.5 COP 291.1K

-0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$241 COP 783.0K

293.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$188 COP 611.5K

152.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$615 COP 2.0M

167.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$398 COP 1.3M

203.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$1,258 COP 4.1M

222.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$990 COP 3.2M

553.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$554 COP 1.8M

18.05%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cali: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $241 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 18% 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 $184 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 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $241 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $222 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $747 in Cali versus $1,256 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 68% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.