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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $818 in Envigado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,251 in Envigado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,683 in Envigado.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 54% more expensive than in Envigado, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Envigado 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$209

$3.92 COP 12.6K

204.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$733

$24.07 COP 77.4K

74.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$7.32 COP 23.6K

42.35%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.4

$1.56 COP 5,026

125.00%

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

$1.52 MX$26.50

$0.87 COP 2,813

74.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.91

$0.57 COP 1,820

59.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.1

$1.15 COP 3,701

164.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.4

$2.17 COP 6,976

101.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.84

$1.18 COP 3,792

20.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.00

$1.24 COP 3,989

47.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.57

$1.19 COP 3,825

36.97%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.38

$2.16 COP 6,956

17.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$4.45 COP 14.3K

92.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$5.15 COP 16.6K

64.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$7.21 COP 23.2K

49.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.14

$2.54 COP 8,188

8.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.10

$1.11 COP 3,565

29.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.97

$1.36 COP 4,370

38.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.93

$0.87 COP 2,796

149.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.10

$1.16 COP 3,745

53.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.87

$1.13 COP 3,629

96.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.68

$0.88 COP 2,828

21.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.87

$0.70 COP 2,257

54.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$2.37 COP 7,636

75.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$10.60 COP 34.1K

-1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.47

$1.13 COP 3,631

53.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.11

$1.76 COP 5,667

46.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.97

$0.71 COP 2,286

-28.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$453

$30.06 COP 96.7K

-13.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.1

$1.43 COP 4,601

124.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.73

$1.71 COP 5,511

46.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.7

$6.04 COP 19.4K

-47.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.96

$0.86 COP 2,780

46.51%

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

$29.7K MX$518.8K

$18.2K COP 58.6M

62.99%

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

$23.7K MX$413.9K

$25.1K COP 80.8M

-5.71%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$96.6 COP 310.7K

-15.04%

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

$22.73 MX$397

$11.30 COP 36.4K

101.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$514

$25.91 COP 83.4K

13.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$912

$23.77 COP 76.5K

119.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.2

$3.96 COP 12.7K

24.49%

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

$202 MX$3,526

$237 COP 762.6K

-14.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.2K

$5,842 COP 18.8M

-10.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$628

$60.1 COP 193.3K

-40.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$33.22 COP 106.9K

21.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,396

$83.5 COP 268.6K

-4.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,561

$73.6 COP 236.9K

21.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

$264 COP 850.7K

258.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,132

$235 COP 757.2K

97.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

$667 COP 2.1M

144.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$428 COP 1.4M

178.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.7K

$1,125 COP 3.6M

249.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.3K

$1,756 COP 5.6M

266.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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 20, 2026

Last update for Envigado: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $264 in Envigado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Envigado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $176 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 54% 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 $1,888 in Playa del Carmen and $1,227 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: $948 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 44% 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 $818 in Envigado versus $1,259 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 $818 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 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.