Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Matagalpa

For one person, living is cheaper in Matagalpa: $811 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Matagalpa
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Matagalpa Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Matagalpa

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Matagalpa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Matagalpa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $811 in Matagalpa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Matagalpa $811

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,232 in Matagalpa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Matagalpa $1,232

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,652 in Matagalpa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Matagalpa $1,652

Playa del Carmen costs about 48% more than Matagalpa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Matagalpa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Matagalpa 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$6.91 NIO 253

58.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$25.06 NIO 918

73.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$7.82 NIO 287

50.64%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$2.65 NIO 96.9

43.77%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.83 NIO 30.52

54.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.46 NIO 16.93

69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.23 NIO 45.07

157.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.30 NIO 84.2

114.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.25 NIO 45.96

12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$1.27 NIO 46.63

74.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.81 NIO 66.4

-21.55%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.32 NIO 85.2

8.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$2.69 NIO 98.4

169.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$4.23 NIO 155

82.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$6.74 NIO 247

88.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$4.07 NIO 149

-31.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$0.61 NIO 22.36

124.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.78 NIO 65.0

43.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$2.49 NIO 91.4

-14.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$4.02 NIO 147

-51.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$2.25 NIO 82.5

-16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$1.09 NIO 39.75

5.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$1.06 NIO 38.65

11.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$2.81 NIO 103

53.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$10.17 NIO 372

-2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.20 NIO 44.10

31.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$2.24 NIO 82.2

19.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.21 NIO 7.67

161.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$1.11 NIO 40.71

347.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$1.26 NIO 46.30

164.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$6.90 NIO 253

-22.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.37 NIO 50.3

5.11%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$23.3K NIO 854.5K

-11.42%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$26.3K NIO 961.9K

-10.65%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$60.6 NIO 2,218

40.03%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$16.76 NIO 614

39.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$32.56 NIO 1,193

-11.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$9.20 NIO 337

-44.13%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$233 NIO 8,542

-11.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$6,115 NIO 223.9K

-35.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$61.0 NIO 2,235

-28.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$64.9 NIO 2,376

-36.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$123 NIO 4,513

-39.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$143 NIO 5,251

-37.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$201 NIO 7,370

386.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$172 NIO 6,314

120.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$300 NIO 11.0K

468.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$245 NIO 8,979

338.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$200 NIO 7,328

267.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.92

-3.94%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Matagalpa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Matagalpa

$172 21.3% 54.7% $208

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Matagalpa

$199 24.6% 21.8% $55

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Matagalpa

$126 15.6% 37.5% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Matagalpa

$110 13.5% 19.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Matagalpa

$177 21.8% 58.1% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Matagalpa

$18 * 2.3% 72.7% $49

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Matagalpa

$8.3 * 1% 83.6% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $201 in Matagalpa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $25 in Matagalpa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $199 – making Matagalpa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇮 Matagalpa

🕒 Local time

19:10 7:10 PM

18:10 6:10 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

159,982

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NIO, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 40.89 NIO (100 NIO = 2.45 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Matagalpa 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Matagalpa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Matagalpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $811 in Matagalpa – Matagalpa comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,217 in Matagalpa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Matagalpa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $201 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $25 in Matagalpa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Matagalpa, where all-in costs run around $811, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Matagalpa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $811 in Matagalpa to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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