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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $473 in Medea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $811 in Medea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,150 in Medea, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 168% more than Medea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Medea are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Medea 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$1.95 DZD 261

494.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$29.14 DZD 3,892

61.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$3.90 DZD 521

204.62%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$0.35 DZD 46.13

1037.14%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.45 DZD 60.3

217.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.21 DZD 28.13

290.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.32 DZD 310

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.33 DZD 312

191.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.87 DZD 116

93.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.07 DZD 9.92

3042.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.19 DZD 160

43.70%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.38 DZD 185

98.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.30 DZD 1,108

15.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.11 DZD 550

119.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$15.00 DZD 2,003

-14.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.19 DZD 292

31.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.83 DZD 378

-47.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.15 DZD 154

86.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.57 DZD 76.2

296.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.60 DZD 79.9

230.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.51 DZD 68.5

290.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.82 DZD 110

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.26 DZD 34.56

361.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.15 DZD 287

111.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.80 DZD 908

52.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.31 DZD 174

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.98 DZD 265

45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.18 DZD 24.16

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$6.48 DZD 866

344.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.61 DZD 81.1

783.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.45 DZD 60.1

728.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$5.89 DZD 787

-2.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.37 DZD 48.86

316.22%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$19.9K DZD 2.7M

13.14%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$36.1K DZD 4.8M

-27.87%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$18.96 DZD 2,532

381.96%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$7.79 DZD 1,041

223.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$12.61 DZD 1,684

147.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$20.68 DZD 2,763

224.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$1.99 DZD 266

1362.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$3.57 DZD 477

36.13%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$40.39 DZD 5,395

453.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$6,587 DZD 880.0K

-35.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$19.61 DZD 2,620

140.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$31.60 DZD 4,221

40.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$32.46 DZD 4,336

146.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$57.1 DZD 7,625

62.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$159 DZD 21.2K

569.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$108 DZD 14.4K

261.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$286 DZD 38.2K

650.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$205 DZD 27.4K

520.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,282 DZD 171.3K

212.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$406 DZD 54.2K

1501.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$321 DZD 42.9K

136.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medea: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $159 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 136% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $29.00 in Medea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $179 – 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 168%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $709 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $29.00 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $473 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 $473, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.