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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $835 in Envigado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,250 in Envigado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,665 in Envigado.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 51% more expensive than Envigado, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Envigado 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$4.04 COP 14.4K

188.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$23.55 COP 84.3K

77.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$7.09 COP 25.4K

46.69%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.51 COP 5,396

139.07%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$0.92 COP 3,298

59.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.62 COP 2,207

46.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.19 COP 4,262

154.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.12 COP 7,584

110.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.12 COP 3,992

23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$1.29 COP 4,633

42.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.18 COP 4,224

36.44%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.14 COP 7,650

20.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$4.32 COP 15.5K

96.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$5.21 COP 18.6K

62.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$7.41 COP 26.5K

48.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.45 COP 8,766

11.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.08 COP 3,857

38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.32 COP 4,717

48.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$0.92 COP 3,307

130.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.11 COP 3,967

67.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.13 COP 4,033

92.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.87 COP 3,131

22.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.65 COP 2,321

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.39 COP 8,553

75.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$10.39 COP 37.2K

-1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.14 COP 4,068

46.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$1.73 COP 6,196

43.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.68 COP 2,440

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$29.54 COP 105.7K

-11.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.49 COP 5,324

108.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.72 COP 6,145

43.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$6.14 COP 22.0K

-47.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$0.80 COP 2,864

57.50%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$17.7K COP 63.5M

70.13%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$25.4K COP 91.0M

-7.77%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$97.7 COP 349.6K

-14.01%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$11.37 COP 40.7K

95.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$25.80 COP 92.3K

14.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$23.39 COP 83.7K

125.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$4.04 COP 14.4K

22.52%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$237 COP 848.5K

-16.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$6,021 COP 21.5M

-11.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$58.7 COP 210.0K

-38.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$32.22 COP 115.3K

24.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$82.9 COP 296.8K

-4.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$72.7 COP 260.3K

18.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$264 COP 945.1K

269.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$241 COP 862.1K

95.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$642 COP 2.3M

148.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$431 COP 1.5M

181.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,652 COP 5.9M

144.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,354 COP 4.8M

385.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Envigado: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $264 in Envigado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $24 in Envigado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $174 per month, with Envigado 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 Envigado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Envigado wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Envigado the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $1,253 in Envigado 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $264 in Envigado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Envigado – 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 $835 in Envigado versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Envigado but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Envigado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Envigado delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Envigado hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Envigado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.