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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,391 in Monrovia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,469 in Monrovia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,547 in Monrovia.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 7% less than in Monrovia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Monrovia is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.31 LRD 1,329

60.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$149 LRD 27.2K

-72.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$11.20 LRD 2,036

-5.00%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.38 LRD 614

4.14%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$2.01 LRD 366

-24.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$2.70 LRD 491

-64.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.72 LRD 494

8.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.02 LRD 548

47.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.18 LRD 396

-36.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.81 LRD 329

4.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$5.01 LRD 911

-67.27%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.61 LRD 656

-30.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$11.60 LRD 2,108

-28.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$11.66 LRD 2,119

-28.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$36.19 LRD 6,576

-70.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.69 LRD 306

53.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$8.41 LRD 1,529

-82.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$10.27 LRD 1,866

-81.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$10.81 LRD 1,964

-80.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.23 LRD 406

-20.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$10.69 LRD 1,942

-79.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$4.70 LRD 855

-77.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.95 LRD 354

-44.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.98 LRD 904

-18.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.94 LRD 1,260

48.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.47 LRD 449

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$3.19 LRD 580

-19.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$3.04 LRD 552

-83.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$20.03 LRD 3,639

32.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.82 LRD 512

15.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.21 LRD 220

105.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$17.72 LRD 3,220

-81.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.23 LRD 223

6.50%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$12.3K LRD 2.2M

145.62%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$14.9K LRD 2.7M

57.48%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$269 LRD 48.9K

-69.20%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$22.55 LRD 4,097

-1.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$94.4 LRD 17.2K

-68.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$77.6 LRD 14.1K

-33.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$8.12 LRD 1,476

125.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$9.54 LRD 1,734

-46.86%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$130 LRD 23.6K

54.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$902 LRD 163.9K

477.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$18.64 LRD 3,387

98.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$33.24 LRD 6,040

19.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$56.9 LRD 10.3K

37.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$68.5 LRD 12.4K

27.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$666 LRD 120.9K

46.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$94.2 LRD 17.1K

396.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,827 LRD 332.0K

-10.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$271 LRD 49.2K

351.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$705 LRD 128.1K

-5.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

128.40%

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 Monrovia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $666 in Monrovia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monrovia pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $149 in Monrovia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $533 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Monrovia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Monrovia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Monrovia earns 6% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $666 in Monrovia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 32% less than in Monrovia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $130 in Monrovia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,391 in Monrovia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Monrovia. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,297 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Monrovia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.