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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,174 in Medias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,802 in Medias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,429 in Medias.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 8% more expensive than in Medias, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Medias 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$12.36 RON 56.6

-6.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$55.0 RON 252

-14.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.95 RON 36.43

49.43%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.80 RON 17.40

4.74%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$2.57 RON 11.77

-44.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$2.36 RON 10.80

-65.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$3.26 RON 14.92

-2.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.61 RON 16.52

88.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.31 RON 5.99

28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.52 RON 6.98

44.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.79 RON 8.20

-4.47%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$3.60 RON 16.50

-23.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.20 RON 42.14

4.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$7.38 RON 33.83

22.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$13.33 RON 61.1

-3.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.56 RON 7.15

85.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.58 RON 7.22

-5.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.67 RON 7.64

28.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$2.85 RON 13.04

-20.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.81 RON 3.72

144.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.89 RON 4.08

123.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.94 RON 4.29

30.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.85 RON 3.91

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$6.59 RON 30.18

-30.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.68 RON 35.18

35.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.27 RON 5.82

27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.00 RON 9.14

44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.75 RON 3.45

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$22.39 RON 103

28.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.67 RON 3.08

704.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.71 RON 3.24

425.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$6.95 RON 31.83

-16.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.43 RON 6.55

7.69%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$29.8K RON 136.3K

-24.24%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$27.0K RON 123.7K

-3.48%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$189 RON 865

-51.58%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$8.31 RON 38.05

203.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$9.69 RON 44.37

222.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$39.39 RON 180

70.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$21.47 RON 98.3

35.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$6.77 RON 31.00

-28.21%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$464 RON 2,126

-51.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$7,274 RON 33.3K

-41.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$53.6 RON 246

-12.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$36.85 RON 169

20.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$78.0 RON 357

2.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$95.1 RON 436

-2.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$397 RON 1,817

167.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$295 RON 1,352

32.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$638 RON 2,921

237.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$471 RON 2,158

170.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,908 RON 8,741

109.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,377 RON 6,309

372.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.2

59.03%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medias: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $397 in Medias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $55.0 in Medias. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $236, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,762 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $397 in Medias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $464 in Medias. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,174 in Medias versus $1,266 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 8% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.