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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,120 in Medias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,701 in Medias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,283 in Medias.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 13% more expensive than Medias, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Medias 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$12.17 RON 55.1

-2.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$51.2 RON 231

-16.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.85 RON 35.50

35.67%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.53 RON 15.99

-2.27%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.91 RON 8.66

-21.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$2.02 RON 9.13

-52.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.29 RON 14.88

-7.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.38 RON 15.30

36.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.40 RON 6.32

-1.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.31 RON 5.90

41.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.79 RON 8.08

-10.06%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.29 RON 14.90

-21.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.82 RON 39.89

-6.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.96 RON 31.49

20.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.02 RON 54.4

-11.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.18 RON 5.32

122.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.64 RON 7.42

-9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.62 RON 7.31

18.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.49 RON 11.26

-16.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.03 RON 4.65

80.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.08 RON 4.88

109.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.95 RON 4.30

11.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.82 RON 3.73

32.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.72 RON 25.85

-27.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.88 RON 40.17

17.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.10 RON 4.96

56.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.65 RON 7.48

58.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.72 RON 3.27

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$19.52 RON 88.3

38.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.76 RON 3.45

311.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.77 RON 3.48

225.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.94 RON 31.39

-54.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.49 RON 6.73

-14.77%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$28.5K RON 129.0K

6.53%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.1K RON 126.9K

-16.02%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$167 RON 756

-50.31%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$8.30 RON 37.54

173.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$9.15 RON 41.39

221.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$40.75 RON 184

25.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$19.12 RON 86.5

-4.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.83 RON 30.89

-27.82%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$453 RON 2,051

-56.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,526 RON 29.5K

-19.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$66.4 RON 300

-44.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$42.48 RON 192

-6.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$97.1 RON 439

-17.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$99.2 RON 449

-9.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$392 RON 1,774

143.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$296 RON 1,338

61.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$594 RON 2,687

177.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$438 RON 1,981

179.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,729 RON 7,819

126.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,270 RON 5,744

408.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.7

48.31%

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 Medias: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $392 in Medias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $51.0 in Medias. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $225, with Medias cheaper for home cooking.

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 Medias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medias is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,679 in Medias to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $392 in Medias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $453 in Medias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,120 in Medias versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medias but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Medias the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medias is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Medias are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medias gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.