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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 28% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$5.99 COP 21.3K

95.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$32.86 COP 116.9K

26.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.09 COP 25.2K

50.07%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$1.71 COP 6,093

105.85%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$1.10 COP 3,910

37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.78 COP 2,771

24.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.68 COP 5,976

75.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.07 COP 10.9K

44.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$1.09 COP 3,892

26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$1.26 COP 4,492

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$1.38 COP 4,905

18.84%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$2.19 COP 7,799

14.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.40 COP 15.7K

89.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.63 COP 20.0K

48.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$8.89 COP 31.6K

20.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$2.34 COP 8,319

11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$1.06 COP 3,764

37.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$1.50 COP 5,355

26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$1.38 COP 4,906

50.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$1.15 COP 4,097

54.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$1.16 COP 4,141

88.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.89 COP 3,170

16.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.84 COP 2,986

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$2.28 COP 8,116

78.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$1.20 COP 4,268

42.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$2.47 COP 8,793

4.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.86 COP 3,045

-40.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$41.40 COP 147.3K

-36.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.47 COP 5,245

121.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$1.96 COP 6,984

27.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$7.74 COP 27.5K

-58.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$0.95 COP 3,397

37.89%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

67.00%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

-11.54%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$82.3 COP 292.7K

0.75%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$9.50 COP 33.8K

133.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$24.23 COP 86.2K

21.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$25.89 COP 92.1K

99.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$19.00 COP 67.6K

-3.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$3.93 COP 14.0K

29.01%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$309 COP 1.1M

-35.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

-12.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$58.7 COP 208.7K

-37.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$32.35 COP 115.1K

23.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$103 COP 365.1K

-23.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$108 COP 385.8K

-19.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$476 COP 1.7M

104.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$379 COP 1.3M

23.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$838 COP 3.0M

95.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$724 COP 2.6M

68.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

41.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

436.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$512 COP 1.8M

29.73%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $476 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 30% 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 $188 – 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 28%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,519 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $1,013 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 $1,013, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.