Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Medellin $3,199

Playa del Carmen is about 26% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$8.30 COP 26.3K

30.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-5.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$9.24 COP 29.3K

27.27%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$3.05 COP 9,676

20.66%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.80 COP 5,707

-25.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.38 COP 4,382

-40.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-11.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.50 COP 4,760

-2.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$2.37 COP 7,508

-6.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.70 COP 5,377

-12.94%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.96 COP 9,379

-15.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-26.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-18.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-9.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-32.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.53 COP 4,839

-6.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.22 COP 7,052

18.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$2.27 COP 7,194

-5.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.99 COP 6,311

1.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.67 COP 5,285

19.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.18 COP 3,742

-3.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.24 COP 3,919

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$3.87 COP 12.3K

10.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-27.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.66 COP 5,256

-7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.40 COP 7,615

10.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.24 COP 3,944

-57.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-64.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$1.28 COP 4,044

282.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$2.15 COP 6,803

59.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-35.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.35 COP 4,288

7.41%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-39.14%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-33.64%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$167 COP 528.4K

-48.78%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$13.62 COP 43.2K

72.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-2.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$45.09 COP 143.0K

37.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$17.18 COP 54.5K

66.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-26.83%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$790 COP 2.5M

-74.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-56.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-49.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-28.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$139 COP 440.7K

-47.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$620 COP 2.0M

-39.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-10.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

8.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-0.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

260.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$663 COP 2.1M

11.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.94

4.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 66.2% $247

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 15.3% $40

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 14.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 52.6% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 54.7% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 18.5% $13

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 84.2% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,028 in Medellin. 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 11% higher in Playa del Carmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $298 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Medellin 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 35%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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