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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,245 in Matamoros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,953 in Matamoros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,660 in Matamoros.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than in Matamoros, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Matamoros 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$11.95 MX$203

0.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$47.23 MX$801

0.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$9.18 MX$156

28.00%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.71 MX$62.9

11.05%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.50 MX$25.48

-6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.15 MX$19.47

-20.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.90 MX$49.27

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.48 MX$76.1

57.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.76 MX$29.87

-4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$2.77 MX$46.94

-22.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.82 MX$30.86

-2.75%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.54 MX$43.13

11.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.72 MX$148

5.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$8.75 MX$148

5.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$12.41 MX$210

1.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.87 MX$48.61

2.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.62 MX$27.54

-2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.09 MX$35.53

6.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.95 MX$33.11

21.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$2.06 MX$34.90

-3.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.91 MX$32.42

3.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.52 MX$25.74

-18.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.16 MX$19.67

4.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.62 MX$78.4

-0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$11.60 MX$197

-9.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.94 MX$32.86

-12.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.28 MX$55.7

-15.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.68 MX$11.55

-11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.72 MX$46.18

92.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$2.14 MX$36.26

70.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$12.00 MX$204

-51.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.56 MX$26.49

-1.28%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$22.6K MX$382.7K

1.07%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$25.6K MX$433.8K

0.95%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$61.9 MX$1,049

46.57%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$24.37 MX$413

3.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$32.52 MX$552

-2.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$37.03 MX$628

85.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$21.35 MX$362

37.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.72 MX$97.1

-15.03%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$245 MX$4,155

-7.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$5,000 MX$84.8K

-16.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$57.8 MX$981

-18.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$45.52 MX$772

-4.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$108 MX$1,829

-25.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$91.5 MX$1,552

-0.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$652 MX$11.1K

66.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$424 MX$7,187

-3.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,117 MX$18.9K

76.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$827 MX$14.0K

54.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,989 MX$33.7K

103.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,213 MX$20.6K

452.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.3

1.33%

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 Matamoros: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $652 in Matamoros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $47.00 in Matamoros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $281 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 5% 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 $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,868 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $652 in Matamoros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $245 in Matamoros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Matamoros – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,245 in Matamoros versus $1,305 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 $1,245 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 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.