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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,117 in Koura, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,725 in Koura, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,333 in Koura, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 16% more than Koura, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Koura are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Koura 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$11.02 LBP 986.4K

6.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$61.1 LBP 5.5M

-31.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.19 LBP 732.8K

29.91%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.24 LBP 289.8K

8.64%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.63 LBP 146.2K

-7.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.88 LBP 79.2K

10.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$3.56 LBP 318.3K

-17.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$5.09 LBP 455.1K

-12.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.71 LBP 152.8K

-19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.84 LBP 75.0K

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.82 LBP 162.5K

-9.89%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.12 LBP 279.1K

-19.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$11.52 LBP 1.0M

-27.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.38 LBP 839.7K

-11.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$11.62 LBP 1.0M

-7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.81 LBP 162.2K

43.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.45 LBP 129.6K

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.13 LBP 101.3K

68.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.05 LBP 93.6K

98.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.95 LBP 84.8K

87.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.00 LBP 89.3K

119.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.84 LBP 75.2K

23.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.53 LBP 47.0K

103.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.54 LBP 227.7K

60.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$10.13 LBP 906.3K

1.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.23 LBP 110.5K

39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.12 LBP 190.0K

21.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$2.05 LBP 183.4K

-75.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$5.03 LBP 450.4K

-35.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.23 LBP 110.4K

102.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$19.82 LBP 1.8M

-83.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.93 LBP 83.4K

40.86%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$34.7K LBP 3.1B

-12.65%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$27.4K LBP 2.5B

-14.55%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$217 LBP 19.4M

-61.83%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$36.98 LBP 3.3M

-39.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$37.61 LBP 3.4M

-21.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$25.42 LBP 2.3M

103.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$7.82 LBP 699.7K

-35.17%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$297 LBP 26.6M

-32.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,371 LBP 391.2M

19.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$69.9 LBP 6.3M

-47.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$45.31 LBP 4.1M

-12.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$120 LBP 10.8M

-34.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$95.4 LBP 8.5M

-8.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$250 LBP 22.4M

288.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$203 LBP 18.2M

130.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$454 LBP 40.6M

261.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$346 LBP 30.9M

253.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,154 LBP 103.3M

241.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$833 LBP 74.6M

679.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$591 LBP 52.9M

12.37%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Koura: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $250 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 12% 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 16% 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,676 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $1,117 in Koura. 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 $297 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 $1,117, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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 $1,117 versus $1,297 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.