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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,214 in Koura, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,902 in Koura, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,589 in Koura, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 4% more than Koura, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Koura are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Koura 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$11.80 LBP 1.1M

-1.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$64.9 LBP 5.8M

-27.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$10.20 LBP 912.7K

16.47%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$4.60 LBP 411.5K

-13.48%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$2.34 LBP 209.9K

-38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.89 LBP 79.5K

-7.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$4.95 LBP 443.3K

-35.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.88 LBP 437.0K

39.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.86 LBP 166.1K

-9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.82 LBP 73.8K

168.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.22 LBP 198.5K

-22.97%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.50 LBP 313.6K

-21.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$13.27 LBP 1.2M

-27.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$10.66 LBP 954.0K

-15.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$13.93 LBP 1.2M

-8.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.11 LBP 278.0K

-7.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.71 LBP 153.3K

-12.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.68 LBP 150.1K

27.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.51 LBP 135.4K

49.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.41 LBP 126.4K

40.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.63 LBP 146.0K

22.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.21 LBP 108.7K

1.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.73 LBP 65.1K

64.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.02 LBP 270.0K

50.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$10.16 LBP 909.2K

2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.28 LBP 114.8K

26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.48 LBP 222.0K

16.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.98 LBP 177.2K

-69.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$4.88 LBP 436.4K

10.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.23 LBP 199.7K

67.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$22.84 LBP 2.0M

-74.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.90 LBP 80.2K

71.11%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$54.3K LBP 4.9B

-58.46%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$33.0K LBP 3.0B

-20.97%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$228 LBP 20.4M

-60.01%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$23.27 LBP 2.1M

8.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$37.50 LBP 3.4M

-16.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$25.23 LBP 2.3M

166.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$9.96 LBP 891.1K

192.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$9.84 LBP 881.0K

-50.61%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$676 LBP 60.5M

-66.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$10.9K LBP 973.1M

-61.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$68.3 LBP 6.1M

-31.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$48.54 LBP 4.3M

-8.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$137 LBP 12.3M

-41.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$120 LBP 10.8M

-22.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$250 LBP 22.4M

324.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$204 LBP 18.2M

91.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$454 LBP 40.6M

373.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$346 LBP 30.9M

268.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,140 LBP 102.1M

250.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$848 LBP 75.9M

667.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$600 LBP 53.7M

26.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Koura: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 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 26% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $65.0 in Koura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $277 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Koura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 4% 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,821 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,214 in Koura. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $676 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 $1,214, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $1,214 versus $1,266 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.