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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,159 in Matamoros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,795 in Matamoros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,432 in Matamoros.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than 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

$11.87 MX$204

$10.40 MX$179

14.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$39.51 MX$678

8.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.02 MX$138

32.79%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.27 MX$56.2

5.50%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.25 MX$21.38

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.96 MX$16.50

-1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.39 MX$41.04

26.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.96 MX$68.0

16.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.44 MX$24.73

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.50 MX$42.90

-26.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.62 MX$27.76

-0.62%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.29 MX$39.27

13.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.08 MX$139

2.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.77 MX$133

7.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.46 MX$180

1.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.59 MX$44.42

1.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.40 MX$23.98

6.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.76 MX$30.29

9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.66 MX$28.46

25.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.90 MX$32.64

-2.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.99 MX$34.09

13.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.25 MX$21.38

-15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.02 MX$17.52

6.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.15 MX$71.3

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.59 MX$165

8.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.60 MX$27.47

7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.73 MX$46.78

-4.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.65 MX$11.10

-16.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$31.70 MX$544

-15.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.60 MX$44.69

20.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.58 MX$27.14

58.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.33 MX$143

-62.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.32 MX$22.62

-3.79%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$20.7K MX$356.0K

46.43%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$22.7K MX$390.2K

3.67%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$56.4 MX$969

47.06%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$21.96 MX$377

3.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$28.03 MX$481

5.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$35.40 MX$608

44.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$16.11 MX$276

13.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.59 MX$78.8

7.41%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$215 MX$3,694

-8.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,101 MX$53.2K

70.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$52.3 MX$898

-29.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$40.14 MX$689

-0.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$89.6 MX$1,538

-10.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$80.3 MX$1,379

11.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$507 MX$8,706

88.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$391 MX$6,713

21.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$949 MX$16.3K

73.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$764 MX$13.1K

60.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,973 MX$33.9K

98.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,184 MX$20.3K

445.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Matamoros: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $507 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 for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $246 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,738 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $507 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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,159 in Matamoros – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,159 in Matamoros versus $1,271 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 $1,159 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.