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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $841 in Leon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,393 in Leon, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,945 in Leon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 49% more than Leon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Leon are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Leon 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$13.07 MX$229

-8.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$39.23 MX$688

6.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$6.27 MX$110

71.45%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$3.59 MX$63.0

-2.51%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.53 MX$26.83

-5.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.89 MX$15.58

-1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$1.67 MX$29.27

76.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$4.18 MX$73.4

7.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.28 MX$22.47

11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.96 MX$34.29

-6.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.19 MX$20.80

31.93%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.63 MX$28.55

53.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$6.44 MX$113

28.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$5.37 MX$94.2

56.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$10.13 MX$178

5.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.56 MX$27.28

67.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$0.88 MX$15.36

63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$0.60 MX$10.52

226.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$0.51 MX$9.00

309.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.51 MX$26.55

22.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$0.84 MX$14.65

158.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.76 MX$13.36

35.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.98 MX$17.11

9.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$4.07 MX$71.5

0.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$14.48 MX$254

-29.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.29 MX$22.64

30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.82 MX$49.51

-10.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.69 MX$12.13

-26.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$36.65 MX$643

-28.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$3.11 MX$54.6

3.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.90 MX$15.74

167.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$13.13 MX$230

-75.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.32 MX$23.12

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$21.4K MX$375.1K

38.87%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$23.4K MX$409.7K

1.30%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$21.24 MX$373

286.11%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$23.58 MX$414

-2.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$22.22 MX$390

35.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$28.25 MX$496

83.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$15.98 MX$280

15.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$4.35 MX$76.4

14.48%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$208 MX$3,642

-4.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$2,822 MX$49.5K

89.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$57.5 MX$1,008

-38.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$41.58 MX$729

-3.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$51.5 MX$904

52.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$27.99 MX$491

217.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$214 MX$3,748

343.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$219 MX$3,849

115.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$402 MX$7,045

309.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$427 MX$7,495

183.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$559 MX$9,813

16.88%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Leon: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $214 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 17% 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 $200 – 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 49% 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,261 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 24% 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 $841, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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 $841 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 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.