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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $520 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $833 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,147 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 142% more than Kolonnawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kolonnawa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kolonnawa 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$4.09 LKR 1,370

186.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$24.71 LKR 8,280

69.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$8.12 LKR 2,721

29.43%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.76 LKR 923

30.07%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.68 LKR 228

122.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.41 LKR 136

124.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.31 LKR 773

28.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$3.43 LKR 1,148

28.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.68 LKR 564

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$0.53 LKR 176

254.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$0.72 LKR 240

116.67%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.11 LKR 706

23.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$8.26 LKR 2,766

0.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$4.64 LKR 1,553

79.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$8.22 LKR 2,753

32.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$7.60 LKR 2,548

-64.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.12 LKR 375

34.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$5.82 LKR 1,949

-67.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$1.21 LKR 404

80.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.10 LKR 369

69.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.41 LKR 472

58.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.16 LKR 388

-7.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.48 LKR 161

127.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$9.94 LKR 3,330

-57.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$10.28 LKR 3,443

1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.96 LKR 657

-15.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.33 LKR 781

12.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$0.38 LKR 128

710.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.33 LKR 110

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$0.61 LKR 204

413.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.25 LKR 419

4.80%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$26.6K LKR 8.9M

11.88%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$34.2K LKR 11.5M

-31.80%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$59.1 LKR 19.8K

37.44%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$4.25 LKR 1,423

430.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$15.11 LKR 5,062

98.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$10.22 LKR 3,426

417.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$1.70 LKR 571

981.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$3.37 LKR 1,128

45.99%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$37.46 LKR 12.6K

436.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$439 LKR 147.0K

1079.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$27.58 LKR 9,241

30.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$19.31 LKR 6,471

107.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$69.6 LKR 23.3K

14.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$38.41 LKR 12.9K

125.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.45

-30.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kolonnawa: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Kolonnawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $232 – making Kolonnawa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kolonnawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 142% more than Kolonnawa, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $780 in Kolonnawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $520 in Kolonnawa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $37.46 in Kolonnawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kolonnawa, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Kolonnawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kolonnawa costs $520 versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kolonnawa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.