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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $839 in Envigado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,238 in Envigado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,638 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 5% lower, Envigado 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$4.03 COP 14.4K

194.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$23.83 COP 85.0K

80.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$7.45 COP 26.6K

42.95%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$1.51 COP 5,396

128.48%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$0.87 COP 3,096

72.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.62 COP 2,197

53.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.21 COP 4,308

150.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$2.17 COP 7,729

112.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$1.13 COP 4,029

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.28 COP 4,550

44.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$1.15 COP 4,086

40.00%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$2.23 COP 7,938

16.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$4.38 COP 15.6K

88.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$5.34 COP 19.0K

56.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$7.28 COP 26.0K

46.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$2.55 COP 9,077

3.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$1.07 COP 3,832

39.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$1.29 COP 4,614

48.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$0.92 COP 3,289

127.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$1.12 COP 3,980

66.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$1.17 COP 4,178

93.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$0.83 COP 2,957

27.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$0.69 COP 2,461

57.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$2.30 COP 8,207

80.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$10.94 COP 39.0K

-5.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$1.13 COP 4,038

52.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$1.71 COP 6,084

52.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$0.68 COP 2,436

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

$29.57 COP 105.5K

-8.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$1.47 COP 5,233

112.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$1.70 COP 6,067

47.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$5.99 COP 21.3K

-47.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$0.80 COP 2,852

58.75%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$17.9K COP 63.8M

69.90%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$25.5K COP 91.1M

-7.70%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$97.4 COP 347.5K

-14.81%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$11.29 COP 40.3K

101.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$25.18 COP 89.8K

17.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

$23.08 COP 82.3K

120.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$4.02 COP 14.4K

22.64%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$242 COP 862.5K

-18.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$5,920 COP 21.1M

-10.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$59.9 COP 213.6K

-38.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$32.31 COP 115.2K

23.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$84.6 COP 301.5K

-5.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$72.3 COP 257.7K

23.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$266 COP 948.3K

259.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

$241 COP 858.8K

98.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

$660 COP 2.4M

149.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$433 COP 1.5M

182.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$1,620 COP 5.8M

141.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

$1,216 COP 4.3M

431.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Envigado: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $266 in Envigado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Envigado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 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 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,259 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $266 in Envigado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $839 in Envigado versus $1,271 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 $839 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.