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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $526 in Medea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $841 in Medea, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,156 in Medea, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 142% 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

$11.87 MX$204

$2.02 DZD 267

487.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$24.08 DZD 3,192

78.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.05 DZD 537

162.96%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.35 DZD 46.13

885.71%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.45 DZD 59.8

233.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.20 DZD 26.07

375.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.00 DZD 266

51.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.43 DZD 322

89.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.00 DZD 133

38.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.07 DZD 9.70

2542.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.17 DZD 156

37.61%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.47 DZD 194

76.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.76 DZD 1,161

-5.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.06 DZD 670

65.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$16.77 DZD 2,222

-36.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.21 DZD 426

-18.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.87 DZD 380

-48.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.77 DZD 235

8.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.61 DZD 81.2

242.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.64 DZD 84.5

190.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.49 DZD 65.2

361.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.73 DZD 96.3

45.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.28 DZD 36.73

289.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.13 DZD 282

94.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.90 DZD 914

50.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.34 DZD 177

28.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.18 DZD 289

19.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.25 DZD 33.40

116.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$17.49 DZD 2,318

54.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.70 DZD 93.1

347.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.37 DZD 48.48

578.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.61 DZD 744

-43.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.33 DZD 44.16

284.85%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$20.0K DZD 2.7M

51.76%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$34.2K DZD 4.5M

-31.08%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$18.80 DZD 2,492

341.49%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$8.22 DZD 1,089

176.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$17.67 DZD 2,343

66.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$23.44 DZD 3,107

117.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$2.02 DZD 268

807.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.57 DZD 473

38.10%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$39.71 DZD 5,264

396.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,648 DZD 483.5K

44.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$20.42 DZD 2,707

80.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$31.56 DZD 4,183

26.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$31.47 DZD 4,171

154.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$55.8 DZD 7,396

60.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$195 DZD 25.8K

390.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$117 DZD 15.5K

307.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$271 DZD 35.9K

508.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$183 DZD 24.2K

570.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,115 DZD 147.8K

251.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,135 DZD 150.4K

469.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$332 DZD 44.0K

101.10%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medea: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $195 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 101% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Medea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $201 – 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 142%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $788 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $24.00 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $526 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 $526, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.