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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,175 in Cordoba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,846 in Cordoba, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,516 in Cordoba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 8% more than Cordoba, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cordoba are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cordoba 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.81 ARS 14.0K

21.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$44.49 ARS 63.6K

-3.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$10.16 ARS 14.5K

4.82%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.26 ARS 3,232

52.65%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.55 ARS 2,218

-3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.49 ARS 2,133

-36.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.28 ARS 3,264

32.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.97 ARS 4,239

55.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.56 ARS 2,224

-11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.40 ARS 3,422

-22.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.99 ARS 2,846

-19.10%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.37 ARS 3,386

9.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.08 ARS 13.0K

-9.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.62 ARS 9,453

26.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.46 ARS 13.5K

12.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.89 ARS 2,703

39.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.16 ARS 3,086

-31.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.25 ARS 1,789

53.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.72 ARS 3,887

-23.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.19 ARS 1,701

56.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.27 ARS 1,821

77.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.53 ARS 2,185

-30.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.67 ARS 2,388

-34.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.44 ARS 3,482

70.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.05 ARS 7,211

105.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.99 ARS 2,844

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.94 ARS 4,203

-11.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.99 ARS 1,409

-45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$56.8 ARS 81.2K

-52.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.15 ARS 1,642

172.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.97 ARS 1,392

158.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.13 ARS 8,755

-48.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.13 ARS 1,621

12.39%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$26.6K ARS 38.0M

14.07%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$35.0K ARS 50.0M

-32.63%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$99.3 ARS 141.9K

-16.42%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.15 ARS 24.5K

32.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$26.23 ARS 37.5K

12.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$25.04 ARS 35.8K

103.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$23.55 ARS 33.6K

-22.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.85 ARS 11.2K

-37.20%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$184 ARS 262.7K

7.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,191 ARS 3.1M

141.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$124 ARS 177.0K

-70.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$84.4 ARS 120.5K

-52.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$132 ARS 188.5K

-39.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$132 ARS 188.4K

-32.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$434 ARS 620.1K

120.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$316 ARS 450.9K

51.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$757 ARS 1.1M

117.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$569 ARS 813.2K

115.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,359 ARS 3.4M

66.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,372 ARS 2.0M

370.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$665 ARS 949.4K

0.36%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cordoba: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $434 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 0% 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 – $250 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 8%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,762 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,175 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 $1,175, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.