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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,393 in Leova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,132 in Leova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,871 in Leova.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 6% less than in Leova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Leova is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$10.58 MDL 182

13.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$35.32 MDL 606

34.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$9.62 MDL 165

22.14%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$0.90 MDL 15.39

357.78%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.55 MDL 9.51

154.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.42 MDL 7.22

116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.69 MDL 46.13

19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.75 MDL 47.27

157.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.71 MDL 29.32

-1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.56 MDL 26.74

37.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.41 MDL 24.24

25.53%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.38 MDL 23.70

104.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$14.50 MDL 249

-36.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$2.28 MDL 39.11

304.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$4.29 MDL 73.6

194.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.40 MDL 23.94

110.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$0.90 MDL 15.37

75.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.03 MDL 17.70

115.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.15 MDL 19.82

105.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.56 MDL 26.70

27.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.59 MDL 10.18

235.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.45 MDL 7.66

175.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.06 MDL 18.20

14.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.81 MDL 82.5

-4.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$15.60 MDL 268

-32.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.18 MDL 20.27

43.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.70 MDL 46.33

2.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.40 MDL 6.85

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$29.90 MDL 513

-0.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.98 MDL 51.1

75.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.56 MDL 9.59

551.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$3.54 MDL 60.7

63.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.43 MDL 24.61

7.69%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$35.1K MDL 602.3K

-35.03%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$36.4K MDL 624.1K

-29.02%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$199 MDL 3,418

-54.47%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$5.90 MDL 101

326.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$21.89 MDL 376

45.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$89.1 MDL 1,528

-22.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$11.90 MDL 204

146.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.77 MDL 81.8

1.89%

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

$226 MX$3,828

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$88.8 MDL 1,524

-46.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$57.0 MDL 978

-23.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$99.7 MDL 1,710

-19.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$115 MDL 1,971

-20.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$650 MDL 11.2K

67.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$550 MDL 9,441

-25.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,560 MDL 26.8K

26.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$1,148 MDL 19.7K

11.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,564 MDL 44.0K

57.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$2,015 MDL 34.6K

232.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$661 MDL 11.3K

16.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.19

59.25%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Leova: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $650 in Leova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Leova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $197 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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $650 in Leova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Leova pay roughly 41% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,393 in Leova – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,393 in Leova, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Leova. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Leova. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.