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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,322 in Leon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,137 in Leon, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,953 in Leon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 4% cheaper than Leon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Playa del Carmen and Leon are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Leon 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$13.04 MX$225

-11.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$59.2 MX$1,021

-20.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$9.55 MX$165

24.40%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$4.13 MX$71.2

-3.63%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.42 MX$24.50

0.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.17 MX$20.12

-29.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$3.60 MX$62.1

-11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.02 MX$69.3

68.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.84 MX$31.65

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.89 MX$49.89

-23.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.87 MX$32.18

-8.56%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.58 MX$61.8

-23.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.55 MX$130

26.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.11 MX$140

11.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$11.77 MX$203

8.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.59 MX$44.65

11.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.43 MX$24.63

4.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.85 MX$31.90

16.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.58 MX$27.30

43.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.14 MX$36.98

-7.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.16 MX$37.30

-7.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.48 MX$25.57

-16.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.75 MX$12.87

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$7.43 MX$128

-38.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$14.80 MX$255

-29.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$2.43 MX$41.93

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$3.81 MX$65.6

-24.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.80 MX$13.72

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$37.24 MX$642

-22.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.95 MX$50.9

82.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.83 MX$48.88

31.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$15.77 MX$272

-63.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.51 MX$26.09

1.99%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$22.8K MX$392.4K

-0.92%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$26.2K MX$452.1K

-0.63%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$23.75 MX$409

284.76%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$44.53 MX$768

-43.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$60.9 MX$1,050

-48.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$63.5 MX$1,094

5.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$36.11 MX$623

-19.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.17 MX$124

-32.22%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$192 MX$3,319

16.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$4,032 MX$69.5K

4.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$59.2 MX$1,021

-20.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$68.6 MX$1,183

-35.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$109 MX$1,873

-26.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$125 MX$2,151

-25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$572 MX$9,867

85.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$391 MX$6,747

-0.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$828 MX$14.3K

159.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$743 MX$12.8K

71.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$572 MX$9,855

32.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.6

-1.29%

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 Leon: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $572 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 33% higher in Playa del Carmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $59.0 in Leon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $280 – 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 Leon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leon costs about 4% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. 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 $1,983 in Leon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 1% more in Leon, 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $59.0 in Leon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Leon at $1,322. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,266 versus $1,322 in Leon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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