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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $753 in Duitama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,112 in Duitama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,471 in Duitama.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 67% more expensive than in Duitama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Duitama 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.19 COP 9,949

267.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$727

$19.43 COP 60.5K

115.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.76 COP 21.1K

55.47%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.2

$1.35 COP 4,213

165.93%

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

$1.51 MX$26.16

$0.75 COP 2,332

101.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.87

$0.55 COP 1,702

67.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.3

$1.40 COP 4,369

111.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.5

$2.01 COP 6,267

119.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.21

$1.17 COP 3,647

19.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.68

$1.06 COP 3,305

77.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.03

$1.20 COP 3,737

30.00%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.25

$2.22 COP 6,928

17.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$4.07 COP 12.7K

104.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.95 COP 18.5K

40.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.29 COP 22.7K

48.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.04

$2.51 COP 7,818

7.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.11

$1.22 COP 3,790

23.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.49

$0.88 COP 2,752

112.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.98

$0.90 COP 2,807

143.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.21

$1.25 COP 3,908

48.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.68

$1.03 COP 3,208

116.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.53

$0.91 COP 2,841

17.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.84

$0.75 COP 2,333

45.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$1.75 COP 5,445

139.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$9.15 COP 28.5K

13.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.75

$0.83 COP 2,594

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.30

$1.48 COP 4,623

76.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.72 COP 2,229

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$454

$30.29 COP 94.4K

-13.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.4

$1.75 COP 5,468

76.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.71

$1.53 COP 4,781

56.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$6.18 COP 19.3K

-49.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.74

$0.99 COP 3,086

32.32%

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

$29.8K MX$517.0K

$19.2K COP 59.8M

55.27%

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

$23.3K MX$404.5K

$27.8K COP 86.7M

-16.16%

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

$81.3 MX$1,410

$71.8 COP 223.6K

13.27%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$8.76 COP 27.3K

157.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$12.01 COP 37.4K

150.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$918

$23.65 COP 73.7K

123.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.3

$2.37 COP 7,386

107.59%

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

$201 MX$3,483

$234 COP 728.6K

-14.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$2,476 COP 7.7M

109.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$623

$65.0 COP 202.6K

-44.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$696

$32.70 COP 101.9K

22.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,382

$84.6 COP 263.6K

-5.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,500

$37.76 COP 117.7K

128.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.0K

$287 COP 894.1K

240.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,160

$235 COP 730.7K

100.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$708 COP 2.2M

133.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$392 COP 1.2M

207.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.6K

$1,921 COP 6.0M

105.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.6K

$1,509 COP 4.7M

337.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

15.25

-25.11%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Duitama: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $287 in Duitama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in Duitama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $172 per month, with Duitama 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 Duitama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duitama wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Duitama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,129 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $287 in Duitama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $753 in Duitama – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Duitama runs roughly 16% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $753 in Duitama versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Duitama but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Duitama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Duitama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $753 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Duitama 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 Duitama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.