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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,165 in Leova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,989 in Leova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,813 in Leova.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 11% more expensive than Leova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Leova 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.83 MDL 186

8.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$35.13 MDL 603

18.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$9.51 MDL 163

11.88%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$0.85 MDL 14.65

314.12%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.54 MDL 9.29

179.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.39 MDL 6.71

148.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.70 MDL 46.43

9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.86 MDL 49.13

55.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.76 MDL 30.24

-21.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.57 MDL 9.77

231.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.37 MDL 23.57

19.71%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.42 MDL 24.44

76.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$14.71 MDL 253

-43.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$2.32 MDL 39.83

259.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$4.16 MDL 71.4

157.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.41 MDL 24.18

84.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.91 MDL 15.65

60.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$0.95 MDL 16.35

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.19 MDL 20.36

74.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.53 MDL 26.34

16.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.56 MDL 9.59

291.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.45 MDL 7.72

131.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.08 MDL 18.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.76 MDL 81.7

-14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$15.26 MDL 262

-32.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.14 MDL 19.62

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.73 MDL 46.84

-5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.39 MDL 6.75

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$29.55 MDL 507

-10.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$2.85 MDL 48.93

14.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.52 MDL 8.87

378.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$3.55 MDL 61.0

-8.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.43 MDL 24.56

-8.39%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$35.6K MDL 611.8K

-15.02%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$36.8K MDL 631.3K

-36.28%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$193 MDL 3,316

-57.10%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$5.74 MDL 98.6

287.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$21.59 MDL 371

35.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$34.70 MDL 596

48.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$11.91 MDL 205

53.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$4.70 MDL 80.7

7.87%

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

$201 MX$3,480

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$86.8 MDL 1,491

-57.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$58.9 MDL 1,010

-32.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$101 MDL 1,730

-22.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$115 MDL 1,975

-24.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$863 MDL 14.8K

12.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$363 MDL 6,227

28.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,585 MDL 27.2K

3.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$1,146 MDL 19.7K

6.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$2,500 MDL 42.9K

57.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$2,015 MDL 34.6K

222.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$668 MDL 11.5K

-0.65%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Leova: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $863 in Leova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leova pays 1% 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 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Leova earns 1% less. 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: $973 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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,165 in Leova – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,165 in Leova versus $1,297 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 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.