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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,128 in Medias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,718 in Medias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,307 in Medias.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 12% more expensive than in Medias, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Medias 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$12.38 RON 56.3

-5.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$50.3 RON 228

-16.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.13 RON 36.97

29.27%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.40 RON 15.46

5.59%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.90 RON 8.66

-20.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$2.07 RON 9.40

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$3.20 RON 14.54

-7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.36 RON 15.27

31.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.35 RON 6.13

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.34 RON 6.10

40.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.78 RON 8.11

-12.36%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$3.35 RON 15.25

-22.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.43 RON 38.31

-1.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.82 RON 30.99

22.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$11.98 RON 54.5

-9.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.19 RON 5.39

127.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.65 RON 7.51

-8.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.61 RON 7.30

16.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.43 RON 11.06

-9.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.00 RON 4.53

86.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.03 RON 4.70

116.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.87 RON 3.94

22.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.80 RON 3.63

36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$5.97 RON 27.13

-29.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$7.76 RON 35.29

34.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.14 RON 5.18

45.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.65 RON 7.50

58.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.72 RON 3.29

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$19.59 RON 89.1

33.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.71 RON 3.22

333.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.81 RON 3.68

196.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$7.03 RON 31.97

-55.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.52 RON 6.90

-13.82%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$28.2K RON 128.1K

5.82%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$27.5K RON 125.0K

-15.18%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$162 RON 734

-49.67%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$8.03 RON 36.49

180.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$8.94 RON 40.63

236.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$41.32 RON 188

28.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$19.14 RON 87.0

-3.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$7.01 RON 31.88

-29.81%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$452 RON 2,055

-55.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,675 RON 30.3K

-22.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$68.0 RON 309

-47.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$43.75 RON 199

-8.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$95.5 RON 434

-16.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$100 RON 456

-13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$389 RON 1,771

151.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$286 RON 1,302

64.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$584 RON 2,654

182.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$444 RON 2,017

171.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,806 RON 8,210

118.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,280 RON 5,821

416.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medias: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $389 in Medias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $50.0 in Medias. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $220, 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,692 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $389 in Medias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $452 in Medias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,128 in Medias versus $1,260 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 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.