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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,137 in Koura, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,747 in Koura, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,357 in Koura, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 10% more than Koura, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Koura are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Koura 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$10.94 LBP 979.3K

9.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$61.0 LBP 5.5M

-31.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.96 LBP 712.2K

35.05%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.29 LBP 294.4K

6.38%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.57 LBP 140.2K

-7.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.89 LBP 79.4K

-1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$3.47 LBP 310.6K

-14.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$4.93 LBP 440.9K

-8.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.70 LBP 152.4K

-15.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.79 LBP 71.0K

132.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.74 LBP 155.8K

-9.77%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.20 LBP 286.4K

-21.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$11.34 LBP 1.0M

-26.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$9.37 LBP 838.2K

-10.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$11.65 LBP 1.0M

-8.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.82 LBP 163.1K

43.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.47 LBP 131.7K

-2.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.13 LBP 101.3K

73.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.06 LBP 94.7K

97.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.00 LBP 89.2K

85.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.04 LBP 92.7K

108.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.89 LBP 79.3K

15.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.53 LBP 47.2K

101.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.48 LBP 221.9K

65.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.88 LBP 884.6K

2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.22 LBP 109.6K

37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.20 LBP 197.2K

15.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$2.06 LBP 184.3K

-75.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$5.04 LBP 450.9K

-35.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.23 LBP 109.8K

95.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$20.17 LBP 1.8M

-83.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.94 LBP 84.2K

40.43%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$34.6K LBP 3.1B

-14.06%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$28.1K LBP 2.5B

-15.85%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$212 LBP 19.0M

-61.39%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$37.90 LBP 3.4M

-39.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$37.12 LBP 3.3M

-18.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$25.12 LBP 2.2M

106.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.87 LBP 704.5K

-36.72%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$299 LBP 26.8M

-33.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,434 LBP 396.8M

20.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$71.9 LBP 6.4M

-50.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$44.75 LBP 4.0M

-9.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$122 LBP 10.9M

-35.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$92.6 LBP 8.3M

-3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$246 LBP 22.0M

285.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$200 LBP 17.9M

136.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$445 LBP 39.9M

269.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$352 LBP 31.5M

244.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,156 LBP 103.5M

250.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$844 LBP 75.5M

666.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$594 LBP 53.2M

10.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.16

2.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Koura: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $246 in Koura. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $61.0 in Koura. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $234 in Koura – so Koura wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Koura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 10% more than Koura, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,706 in Koura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Koura, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $1,137 in Koura. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $299 in Koura. 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 Koura, where all-in costs run around $1,137, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Koura 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. Koura costs $1,137 versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Koura. 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.