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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 22% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.16 COP 20.1K

94.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$32.60 COP 106.1K

28.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.34 COP 23.9K

46.46%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.72 COP 5,599

103.49%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.05 COP 3,420

38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.77 COP 2,515

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.69 COP 5,487

74.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.17 COP 10.3K

42.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.05 COP 3,423

36.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.30 COP 4,236

41.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.40 COP 4,544

12.14%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.16 COP 7,046

16.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$4.39 COP 14.3K

88.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.88 COP 19.1K

43.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.64 COP 28.1K

23.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.28 COP 7,425

14.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.11 COP 3,603

29.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.53 COP 4,982

28.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.35 COP 4,410

54.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.13 COP 3,674

63.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.13 COP 3,692

92.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.85 COP 2,753

21.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.91 COP 2,975

17.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.34 COP 7,629

75.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.20 COP 3,909

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.49 COP 8,104

1.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.84 COP 2,727

-39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-35.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.42 COP 4,623

127.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.92 COP 6,235

25.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-57.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.99 COP 3,223

33.33%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

64.71%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-11.13%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$80.8 COP 263.1K

1.48%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$9.95 COP 32.4K

130.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$24.18 COP 78.7K

24.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$25.08 COP 81.6K

107.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-3.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$3.98 COP 13.0K

25.13%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$305 COP 993.4K

-35.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-11.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-38.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$32.20 COP 104.8K

25.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$101 COP 327.9K

-21.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$108 COP 350.8K

-17.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$477 COP 1.6M

98.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$376 COP 1.2M

26.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$845 COP 2.7M

94.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$730 COP 2.4M

65.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

26.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

371.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$617 COP 2.0M

6.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.43

-14.97%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $477 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 6% 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 $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $193 – making Medellin 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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 22%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,546 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $33.00 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $1,031 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. 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.