Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Envigado

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,406 in Envigado, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Envigado, Colombia
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Envigado
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,406
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Envigado

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Envigado actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,406 in Envigado.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Envigado $1,406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,123 in Envigado.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Envigado $2,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,841 in Envigado.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Envigado $2,841

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 14% less than in Envigado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Envigado is 4% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Envigado
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$200
$7.98 COP 25.8K
33.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$823
$46.17 COP 149.1K
-5.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$221
$9.27 COP 30.0K
27.18%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$71.1
$2.59 COP 8,350
46.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.36
$1.38 COP 4,449
-5.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.65
$1.01 COP 3,258
-17.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$59.1
$3.08 COP 9,943
2.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$3.78 COP 12.2K
30.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Envigado
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.46
$1.37 COP 4,410
2.92%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$41.23
$2.30 COP 7,419
-4.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.66
$1.57 COP 5,084
-6.37%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.89
$3.10 COP 10.0K
-19.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$137
$7.21 COP 23.3K
1.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$149
$9.76 COP 31.5K
-18.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$242
$13.94 COP 45.0K
-7.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$54.4
$3.71 COP 12.0K
-21.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.98
$1.24 COP 4,005
11.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.78
$2.14 COP 6,904
16.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.12
$1.70 COP 5,477
19.41%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$38.03
$1.55 COP 5,012
30.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.74
$1.36 COP 4,386
39.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.49
$1.21 COP 3,903
-5.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.27
$1.19 COP 3,845
4.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$80.2
$4.43 COP 14.3K
-3.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$184
$14.96 COP 48.3K
-34.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.78
$1.43 COP 4,631
11.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.6
$2.70 COP 8,731
1.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Envigado
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.67
$1.12 COP 3,620
-54.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$514
$75.0 COP 242.2K
-63.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$89.4
$1.81 COP 5,835
162.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$61.0
$2.34 COP 7,558
38.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$101
$8.72 COP 28.2K
-38.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.70
$1.32 COP 4,268
15.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$398.4K
$33.9K COP 109.6M
-37.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$436.9K
$34.4K COP 111.0M
-32.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Envigado
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,568
$144 COP 466.1K
-42.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$435
$13.55 COP 43.8K
71.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$519
$27.54 COP 89.0K
0.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Envigado
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,060
$35.18 COP 113.6K
60.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$529
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.9
$7.11 COP 23.0K
-29.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Envigado
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,889
$522 COP 1.7M
-60.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$98.2K
$11.9K COP 38.5M
-56.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Envigado
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$816
$87.0 COP 281.0K
-50.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$799
$56.4 COP 182.2K
-24.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,367
$156 COP 503.9K
-53.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,660
$86.0 COP 277.8K
2.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Envigado
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.7K
$733 COP 2.4M
35.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,181
$470 COP 1.5M
-18.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.4K
$1,508 COP 4.9M
11.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.3K
$792 COP 2.6M
36.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$73.4K
$2,490 COP 8.0M
56.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$115.3K
$1,879 COP 6.1M
226.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Envigado
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
12
-4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Envigado: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Envigado
$470 22.8% $87
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Envigado
$280 8.6% $22
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Envigado
$155 22.5% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Envigado
$185 38.1% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Envigado
$173 56% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Envigado
$49 25.6% $17
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Envigado
$93 84.3% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $733 in Envigado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $46 in Envigado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $280 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇨🇴 Envigado
🕒 Local time
04:08 4:08 AM
04:08 4:08 AM
Same time as Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
204,399
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Envigado 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Envigado

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Envigado?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 14% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Envigado?
You’d need roughly $1,804 in Playa del Carmen and $2,108 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Playa del Carmen compared to Envigado?
Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $733 in Envigado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or in Envigado?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Envigado. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Envigado?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44 versus $46 in Envigado. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Playa del Carmen or Envigado?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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