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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,119 in Medias.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,699 in Medias.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,280 in Medias.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 15% more expensive than Medias, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Medias 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$12.44 RON 54.3

-4.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$50.9 RON 222

-16.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.96 RON 34.71

33.04%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.57 RON 15.55

1.40%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.98 RON 8.62

-25.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$2.09 RON 9.11

-55.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$3.19 RON 13.90

-3.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.47 RON 15.11

28.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.35 RON 5.87

5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.30 RON 5.65

44.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.83 RON 7.96

-10.93%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$3.35 RON 14.60

-21.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.54 RON 37.23

-3.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.07 RON 30.81

17.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$11.89 RON 51.8

-6.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.19 RON 5.20

122.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.65 RON 7.21

-9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.55 RON 6.78

28.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.39 RON 10.42

-12.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.00 RON 4.35

79.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.04 RON 4.52

109.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.89 RON 3.86

21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.82 RON 3.60

26.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$5.76 RON 25.13

-31.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.07 RON 30.82

44.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.11 RON 4.82

55.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.70 RON 7.42

47.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.67 RON 2.93

-22.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$19.64 RON 85.6

37.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.76 RON 3.30

313.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.81 RON 3.51

196.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$7.05 RON 30.74

-56.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.49 RON 6.49

-14.77%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$28.5K RON 124.4K

8.22%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$27.5K RON 119.9K

-15.21%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$166 RON 726

-50.74%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$7.98 RON 34.78

181.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$8.95 RON 39.03

231.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$41.75 RON 182

24.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$19.21 RON 83.7

-2.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.04 RON 30.69

-29.40%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$440 RON 1,921

-55.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$6,542 RON 28.5K

-19.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$67.6 RON 295

-46.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$42.69 RON 186

-6.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$96.4 RON 420

-17.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$99.4 RON 433

-10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$383 RON 1,670

151.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$292 RON 1,275

58.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$585 RON 2,550

172.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$446 RON 1,943

171.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,733 RON 7,554

127.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,318 RON 5,746

389.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medias: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $383 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 $251 vs $219, 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 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,678 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $383 in Medias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $440 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 $1,119 in Medias versus $1,287 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 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.