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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,151 in Matamoros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,822 in Matamoros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,493 in Matamoros.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 12% more expensive than Matamoros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Matamoros 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$10.55 MX$185

13.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$39.52 MX$692

8.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.76 MX$136

36.47%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.35 MX$58.7

8.06%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.28 MX$22.39

14.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.92 MX$16.16

2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.36 MX$41.35

30.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.82 MX$66.8

16.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.49 MX$26.13

-4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.60 MX$45.56

-27.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.60 MX$28.05

1.87%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.32 MX$40.63

13.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.06 MX$141

1.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.85 MX$137

5.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.48 MX$183

5.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.63 MX$45.95

0.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.41 MX$24.66

6.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.80 MX$31.53

10.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.66 MX$29.10

25.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.93 MX$33.81

-7.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.95 MX$34.05

11.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.25 MX$21.90

-13.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.01 MX$17.75

2.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.08 MX$71.5

-2.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$12.17 MX$213

-16.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.61 MX$28.11

7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.74 MX$47.96

-8.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.61 MX$10.68

-14.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$32.05 MX$561

-15.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.55 MX$44.61

23.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.61 MX$28.21

49.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.48 MX$148

-63.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.26 MX$22.13

0.79%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$21.1K MX$369.3K

46.33%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$22.3K MX$390.1K

4.58%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$57.5 MX$1,006

42.65%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$21.86 MX$383

2.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$27.82 MX$487

6.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$35.63 MX$623

45.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$15.58 MX$273

19.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.76 MX$83.3

4.41%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$209 MX$3,650

-5.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,104 MX$54.3K

69.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$53.5 MX$936

-32.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$40.42 MX$707

-0.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$91.2 MX$1,596

-12.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$79.4 MX$1,389

11.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$500 MX$8,743

92.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$400 MX$7,006

16.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$929 MX$16.3K

71.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$772 MX$13.5K

56.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,755 MX$30.7K

124.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,283 MX$22.4K

402.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Matamoros: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $500 in Matamoros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $40.00 in Matamoros. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $253, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 12% 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 $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,727 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $500 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 $40.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,151 in Matamoros – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,151 in Matamoros versus $1,287 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 $1,151 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 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.