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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,320 in Envigado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,074 in Envigado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,829 in Envigado.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 1% less than in Envigado, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Envigado 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$7.59 COP 23.6K

57.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$801

$41.92 COP 130.1K

13.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$9.79 COP 30.4K

20.02%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.7

$2.65 COP 8,229

55.47%

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

$1.40 MX$23.66

$1.31 COP 4,083

6.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.43

$0.94 COP 2,908

-3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.2

$2.56 COP 7,948

25.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.71 COP 11.5K

90.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.35

$1.48 COP 4,589

13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.36

$2.40 COP 7,438

-10.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.00

$1.59 COP 4,937

11.32%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.60

$2.95 COP 9,156

-4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$7.17 COP 22.3K

28.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$9.47 COP 29.4K

-2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$12.95 COP 40.2K

-2.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.90

$3.47 COP 10.8K

-14.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.70

$1.38 COP 4,292

14.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.58

$1.71 COP 5,303

29.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.96

$1.84 COP 5,701

28.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.70

$1.64 COP 5,080

21.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.47

$1.49 COP 4,626

32.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.97

$1.21 COP 3,752

2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.48

$1.20 COP 3,727

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.8

$4.23 COP 13.1K

8.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$12.60 COP 39.1K

-16.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.60

$1.43 COP 4,433

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.91

$2.73 COP 8,467

1.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.19

$1.15 COP 3,555

-47.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.5

$1.63 COP 5,068

221.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.7

$2.02 COP 6,287

80.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.8

$7.90 COP 24.5K

-26.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.01

$1.31 COP 4,075

17.56%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$25.9K COP 80.3M

-11.84%

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

$25.8K MX$436.5K

$36.1K COP 112.0M

-28.42%

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

$90.7 MX$1,533

$141 COP 437.7K

-35.69%

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

$25.19 MX$426

$14.69 COP 45.6K

71.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$537

$33.50 COP 104.0K

-5.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,163

$35.35 COP 109.7K

94.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$497

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.2

$7.17 COP 22.3K

-32.22%

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

$226 MX$3,816

$700 COP 2.2M

-67.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.9K

$7,296 COP 22.7M

-42.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$801

$84.4 COP 262.1K

-43.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$735

$60.7 COP 188.5K

-28.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,356

$136 COP 422.2K

-41.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,545

$90.3 COP 280.5K

1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$782 COP 2.4M

38.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,910

$515 COP 1.6M

-20.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

$1,002 COP 3.1M

96.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$993 COP 3.1M

29.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.4K

$2,039 COP 6.3M

98.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.4K

$1,822 COP 5.7M

267.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.58

-1.12%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Envigado: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $782 in Envigado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $42.00 in Envigado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $271 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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Envigado. 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 $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,980 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $782 in Envigado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $700 in Envigado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $42.00 in Envigado. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,320 in Envigado, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Envigado. 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 $1,305 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Envigado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.