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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $854 in Leon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,382 in Leon, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,909 in Leon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 52% more than Leon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Leon are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Leon 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$13.24 MX$229

-11.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$39.05 MX$675

6.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.48 MX$112

64.20%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.71 MX$64.2

-5.12%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.58 MX$27.39

-4.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.94 MX$16.23

3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.76 MX$30.42

67.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$4.07 MX$70.3

9.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.27 MX$22.05

8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.96 MX$33.87

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.14 MX$19.64

43.86%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.63 MX$28.22

53.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.27 MX$109

33.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.27 MX$91.2

58.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.93 MX$172

8.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.55 MX$26.77

67.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.87 MX$15.04

67.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.60 MX$10.45

216.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.51 MX$8.82

307.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.50 MX$25.95

18.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.89 MX$15.32

146.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.77 MX$13.34

35.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.00 MX$17.24

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.20 MX$72.7

-2.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$14.29 MX$247

-27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.35 MX$23.29

26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.85 MX$49.22

-9.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.73 MX$12.59

-30.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$36.48 MX$631

-27.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.23 MX$55.9

0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.89 MX$15.39

179.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$13.09 MX$226

-75.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.33 MX$23.09

-1.50%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$21.2K MX$366.6K

42.88%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$24.1K MX$416.2K

-2.63%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$21.30 MX$368

289.06%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$23.35 MX$404

-4.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$22.36 MX$387

31.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$27.97 MX$484

84.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$16.14 MX$279

13.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.26 MX$73.7

19.01%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$215 MX$3,727

-6.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$2,851 MX$49.3K

82.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$58.0 MX$1,003

-36.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$41.89 MX$725

-5.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$51.7 MX$894

51.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$28.19 MX$488

208.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$211 MX$3,644

361.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$222 MX$3,839

110.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$391 MX$6,762

319.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$424 MX$7,340

187.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$572 MX$9,892

16.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.67

-2.14%

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 Leon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $211 in Leon. 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 16% 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 $39.00 in Leon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $199 – making Leon 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 Leon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 52% more than Leon, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. 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 $1,281 in Leon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 25% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $39.00 in Leon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Leon, where all-in costs run around $854, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Leon 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. Leon costs $854 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 Leon. 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.