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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,199 in Cordoba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,895 in Cordoba, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,591 in Cordoba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 7% more than Cordoba, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cordoba are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Cordoba 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$9.93 ARS 14.0K

20.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$44.26 ARS 62.3K

-3.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$9.93 ARS 14.0K

6.65%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.29 ARS 3,228

58.08%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.57 ARS 2,208

-6.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$1.51 ARS 2,132

-37.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.18 ARS 3,072

41.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.08 ARS 4,332

44.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.62 ARS 2,287

-11.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$2.47 ARS 3,479

-23.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$2.02 ARS 2,850

-19.31%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.43 ARS 3,424

8.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$8.94 ARS 12.6K

-8.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.34 ARS 8,931

30.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$9.41 ARS 13.2K

17.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.94 ARS 2,735

36.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$2.12 ARS 2,982

-29.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.31 ARS 1,842

51.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.70 ARS 3,807

-22.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.18 ARS 1,667

51.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.34 ARS 1,883

62.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.54 ARS 2,175

-29.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.68 ARS 2,360

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$2.52 ARS 3,554

57.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$4.90 ARS 6,906

108.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.04 ARS 2,870

-15.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$3.02 ARS 4,258

-17.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$1.03 ARS 1,449

-49.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$56.8 ARS 79.9K

-52.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.15 ARS 1,623

173.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.02 ARS 1,442

135.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$6.10 ARS 8,594

-49.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.08 ARS 1,522

17.59%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$27.0K ARS 38.0M

14.36%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$34.7K ARS 48.9M

-32.87%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$98.7 ARS 139.0K

-16.91%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$17.10 ARS 24.1K

31.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$26.33 ARS 37.1K

12.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$25.27 ARS 35.6K

105.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$23.27 ARS 32.8K

-19.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$8.21 ARS 11.6K

-39.46%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$184 ARS 259.2K

7.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$2,237 ARS 3.2M

135.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$122 ARS 171.4K

-70.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$84.0 ARS 118.2K

-52.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$129 ARS 181.5K

-38.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$134 ARS 188.8K

-33.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$447 ARS 629.8K

115.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$312 ARS 439.7K

48.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$762 ARS 1.1M

109.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$564 ARS 793.5K

114.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,424 ARS 3.4M

62.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,476 ARS 2.1M

336.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$608 ARS 856.5K

18.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

58.5

-80.48%

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 Cordoba: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $447 in Cordoba. 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 18% 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 $44.00 in Cordoba. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $245 in Cordoba – so Cordoba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Cordoba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,799 in Cordoba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $44.00 in Cordoba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,199 in Cordoba. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cordoba, where all-in costs run around $1,199, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Cordoba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cordoba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cordoba. 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.