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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,159 in Leova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,954 in Leova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,749 in Leova.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 8% more expensive than in Leova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Leova 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$10.80 MDL 188

11.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$35.04 MDL 610

19.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$9.81 MDL 171

9.58%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$0.92 MDL 15.97

280.43%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.54 MDL 9.47

168.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.39 MDL 6.84

125.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.69 MDL 46.90

9.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.83 MDL 49.32

59.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.73 MDL 30.15

-17.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.56 MDL 9.73

228.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.36 MDL 23.72

15.44%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.36 MDL 23.67

84.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$14.58 MDL 254

-43.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$2.39 MDL 41.62

252.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$4.28 MDL 74.5

149.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.41 MDL 24.54

85.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.84 MDL 14.71

71.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.95 MDL 16.63

106.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.20 MDL 20.94

74.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.59 MDL 27.77

16.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.60 MDL 10.46

261.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.49 MDL 8.59

110.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.03 MDL 17.85

3.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.63 MDL 80.6

-11.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$15.44 MDL 269

-34.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.20 MDL 20.82

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.73 MDL 47.62

-7.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.39 MDL 6.83

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$29.44 MDL 513

-11.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.94 MDL 51.2

9.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.52 MDL 9.09

363.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.47 MDL 60.5

-6.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.44 MDL 25.00

-8.33%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$35.5K MDL 618.4K

-16.38%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$36.5K MDL 634.7K

-35.08%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$196 MDL 3,408

-58.10%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$6.00 MDL 105

282.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$21.72 MDL 378

38.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$35.36 MDL 616

46.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$11.72 MDL 204

58.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.54 MDL 79.1

9.69%

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

$197 MX$3,438

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$88.0 MDL 1,532

-59.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$58.9 MDL 1,025

-31.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$99.2 MDL 1,727

-20.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$119 MDL 2,067

-25.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$863 MDL 15.0K

9.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$369 MDL 6,428

28.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,581 MDL 27.5K

3.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$1,131 MDL 19.7K

7.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,526 MDL 44.0K

60.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,999 MDL 34.8K

223.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$670 MDL 11.7K

-2.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.19

58.83%

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 Leova: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $863 in Leova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leova pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Leova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $187 per month, with Leova cheaper across the board.

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 Leova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leova is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Leova. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $863 in Leova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,159 in Leova – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,159 in Leova versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Leova but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Leova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Leova is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Leova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.