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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,145 in Matamoros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,833 in Matamoros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,521 in Matamoros.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than in Matamoros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Matamoros 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$10.68 MX$186

9.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$39.04 MX$681

7.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$7.70 MX$134

36.49%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$3.37 MX$58.8

6.53%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$1.30 MX$22.61

16.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.91 MX$15.85

1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.32 MX$40.44

27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$3.99 MX$69.5

10.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.42 MX$24.77

-1.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$2.50 MX$43.58

-24.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.63 MX$28.39

-4.29%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.37 MX$41.38

10.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$7.92 MX$138

5.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$7.95 MX$139

5.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$10.65 MX$186

1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$2.58 MX$44.95

5.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.46 MX$25.48

3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.72 MX$30.02

8.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$1.60 MX$27.87

36.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.91 MX$33.38

-2.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.99 MX$34.69

12.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.20 MX$20.88

-10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$1.01 MX$17.62

7.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$4.29 MX$74.8

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$10.50 MX$183

-0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.59 MX$27.75

4.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.73 MX$47.61

-4.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.65 MX$11.39

-16.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$32.19 MX$561

-18.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$2.64 MX$46.03

16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$1.60 MX$27.90

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$8.35 MX$146

-62.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.33 MX$23.17

-1.50%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$21.1K MX$368.7K

40.99%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$22.3K MX$388.8K

4.62%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$56.7 MX$989

43.38%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$22.32 MX$389

1.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$27.63 MX$482

8.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$35.54 MX$620

48.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$16.00 MX$279

14.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$4.65 MX$81.1

5.81%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$209 MX$3,639

-3.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$3,121 MX$54.4K

65.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$53.9 MX$940

-33.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$40.42 MX$705

-0.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$90.7 MX$1,582

-12.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$78.3 MX$1,365

10.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$501 MX$8,729

95.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$401 MX$6,996

17.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$936 MX$16.3K

76.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$767 MX$13.4K

56.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$1,906 MX$33.2K

107.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$1,270 MX$22.2K

420.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.48

-0.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Matamoros: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $501 in Matamoros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Matamoros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $248 per month, with Matamoros 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 Matamoros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matamoros wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Matamoros the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,717 in Matamoros to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $501 in Matamoros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Matamoros – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,145 in Matamoros – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,145 in Matamoros versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Matamoros but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Matamoros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Matamoros delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,145 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Matamoros hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Matamoros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.