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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,332 in Duitama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,039 in Duitama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,746 in Duitama.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 5% less than in Duitama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Duitama 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$5.66 COP 17.6K

104.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$808

$32.12 COP 99.8K

46.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$9.49 COP 29.5K

25.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.16 COP 6,724

84.26%

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

$1.43 MX$24.46

$1.43 COP 4,456

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.14

$1.07 COP 3,312

-23.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.67 COP 5,177

91.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$116

$2.54 COP 7,884

167.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.72

$1.46 COP 4,527

15.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.67

$1.48 COP 4,583

48.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.29

$1.69 COP 5,265

1.18%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$46.99

$3.14 COP 9,759

-12.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$7.99 COP 24.8K

19.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$154

$14.54 COP 45.2K

-38.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$17.63 COP 54.8K

-27.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.52

$3.53 COP 11.0K

-18.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.67

$1.44 COP 4,474

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.83

$2.19 COP 6,811

-1.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.74

$1.88 COP 5,848

20.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.96

$1.44 COP 4,489

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.11

$1.52 COP 4,732

30.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.16

$1.00 COP 3,109

23.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.52

$0.95 COP 2,948

26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.0

$4.41 COP 13.7K

3.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$12.95 COP 40.2K

-19.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.76

$1.45 COP 4,497

11.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.39

$1.67 COP 5,196

72.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.29

$1.03 COP 3,215

-41.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.4

$2.91 COP 9,035

85.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$63.9

$2.06 COP 6,385

81.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$98.9

$8.17 COP 25.4K

-29.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.34

$1.34 COP 4,162

14.93%

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

$22.5K MX$386.6K

$27.5K COP 85.5M

-18.06%

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

$26.1K MX$446.7K

$34.2K COP 106.1M

-23.73%

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

$91.4 MX$1,567

$175 COP 543.6K

-47.77%

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

$25.20 MX$432

$10.85 COP 33.7K

132.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$26.55 COP 82.5K

17.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,152

$33.53 COP 104.2K

100.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.4

$6.60 COP 20.5K

-26.36%

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

$224 MX$3,834

$676 COP 2.1M

-66.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.5K

$6,088 COP 18.9M

-30.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$54.3 COP 168.6K

-13.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$759

$57.3 COP 177.9K

-22.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,373

$123 COP 381.2K

-34.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,589

$98.6 COP 306.3K

-6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$765 COP 2.4M

38.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,690

$480 COP 1.5M

-18.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.8K

$1,192 COP 3.7M

80.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$1,030 COP 3.2M

23.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.6K

$1,784 COP 5.5M

124.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.5K

$1,629 COP 5.1M

299.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

12.4

-7.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Duitama: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $765 in Duitama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Duitama. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $302, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Duitama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Duitama. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,998 in Duitama to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $765 in Duitama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Duitama. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,332 in Duitama – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,332 in Duitama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Duitama. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Duitama are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Duitama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.