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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $696 in Cucuta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,113 in Cucuta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,530 in Cucuta.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 81% more expensive than in Cucuta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Cucuta 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$3.68 COP 12.0K

225.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$24.03 COP 78.1K

73.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$7.32 COP 23.8K

46.86%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$0.99 COP 3,209

253.54%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$0.88 COP 2,863

64.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$0.35 COP 1,136

151.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$1.21 COP 3,934

143.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$2.22 COP 7,205

103.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$0.87 COP 2,838

64.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$0.95 COP 3,104

93.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$1.00 COP 3,243

57.00%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$2.12 COP 6,886

18.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$5.45 COP 17.7K

51.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.29 COP 17.2K

59.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$7.29 COP 23.7K

46.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$2.55 COP 8,275

2.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$0.75 COP 2,455

92.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$0.70 COP 2,286

180.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$0.63 COP 2,046

231.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$0.76 COP 2,467

143.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$0.64 COP 2,070

239.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$0.58 COP 1,901

77.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$0.75 COP 2,431

42.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$2.39 COP 7,770

71.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$11.84 COP 38.5K

-14.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$1.13 COP 3,667

48.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$1.72 COP 5,581

47.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.67 COP 2,175

-23.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

$29.69 COP 96.5K

-12.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$1.41 COP 4,600

129.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$1.50 COP 4,885

60.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$5.30 COP 17.2K

-39.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$0.99 COP 3,207

33.33%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$17.6K COP 57.4M

68.29%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$26.0K COP 84.4M

-8.86%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$85.5 COP 277.9K

-4.06%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$9.18 COP 29.9K

150.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$19.24 COP 62.6K

56.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$23.55 COP 76.6K

120.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$8.82 COP 28.7K

110.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$4.01 COP 13.1K

24.19%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$324 COP 1.1M

-39.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$4,243 COP 13.8M

25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$59.5 COP 193.4K

-40.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$32.18 COP 104.6K

25.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$83.9 COP 272.7K

-6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$69.9 COP 227.3K

27.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$254 COP 826.4K

272.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$169 COP 550.1K

180.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$579 COP 1.9M

183.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$359 COP 1.2M

237.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$1,770 COP 5.8M

129.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$1,295 COP 4.2M

399.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$500 COP 1.6M

30.79%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Cucuta: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $254 in Cucuta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 31% 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 $24.00 in Cucuta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $166 per month, with Cucuta 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 Cucuta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cucuta is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% 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 $254 in Cucuta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cucuta – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $696 in Cucuta versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cucuta but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cucuta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cucuta 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 Cucuta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.