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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $520 in Medea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $839 in Medea, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,159 in Medea, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 143% more than Medea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Medea are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Medea 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$2.02 DZD 267

480.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$23.27 DZD 3,077

80.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.05 DZD 536

159.51%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$0.37 DZD 49.52

870.27%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.43 DZD 56.3

251.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.22 DZD 28.87

318.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.98 DZD 261

49.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.42 DZD 320

82.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.99 DZD 131

41.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.09 DZD 11.97

1988.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.14 DZD 151

36.84%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.48 DZD 195

76.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.07 DZD 1,199

-8.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.08 DZD 672

64.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$16.72 DZD 2,211

-35.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.18 DZD 421

-14.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.71 DZD 358

-44.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.71 DZD 226

9.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.57 DZD 75.0

284.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.60 DZD 80.0

210.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.47 DZD 61.5

374.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.73 DZD 96.9

46.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.30 DZD 39.76

263.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.14 DZD 283

95.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.99 DZD 925

49.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.31 DZD 173

26.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.06 DZD 272

26.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.25 DZD 33.06

116.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$17.62 DZD 2,330

48.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.65 DZD 86.5

373.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.34 DZD 44.56

605.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.61 DZD 741

-44.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.37 DZD 48.47

254.05%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.3K DZD 2.7M

46.60%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$33.6K DZD 4.4M

-30.62%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$19.08 DZD 2,522

326.00%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$7.99 DZD 1,056

182.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$17.87 DZD 2,362

68.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$23.03 DZD 3,044

129.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$2.04 DZD 270

801.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$3.46 DZD 457

42.20%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$40.25 DZD 5,321

398.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,612 DZD 477.6K

43.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$20.00 DZD 2,644

79.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$31.60 DZD 4,178

26.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$31.90 DZD 4,218

149.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$55.7 DZD 7,370

55.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$197 DZD 26.0K

397.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$115 DZD 15.2K

308.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$279 DZD 36.9K

491.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$184 DZD 24.4K

552.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,117 DZD 147.7K

253.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,139 DZD 150.6K

480.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$328 DZD 43.4K

106.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

128.40%

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 Medea: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $197 in Medea. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 106% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Medea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $200 – making Medea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Medea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 143%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $779 in Medea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medea, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $23.00 in Medea. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $520 in Medea. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medea, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Medea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medea – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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