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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,300 in Monrovia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,887 in Monrovia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,474 in Monrovia.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 3% less than in Monrovia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Monrovia 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.39 LRD 1,273

56.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$11.06 LRD 1,907

7.41%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.04 LRD 524

30.92%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.94 LRD 335

-26.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$2.04 LRD 351

-59.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$4.04 LRD 696

-21.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.02 LRD 521

124.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$2.15 LRD 370

-21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.81 LRD 313

21.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$5.25 LRD 905

-67.43%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$3.68 LRD 634

-25.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.94 LRD 1,368

20.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$11.75 LRD 2,025

-23.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$13.53 LRD 2,331

-5.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.60 LRD 276

80.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$8.23 LRD 1,418

-81.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$10.28 LRD 1,771

-79.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$11.10 LRD 1,913

-79.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$2.17 LRD 375

-8.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$10.77 LRD 1,856

-81.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$4.76 LRD 821

-74.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$1.99 LRD 342

-39.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$5.12 LRD 883

-11.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.02 LRD 1,211

47.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$2.53 LRD 435

-35.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$3.53 LRD 608

-18.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$3.09 LRD 532

-80.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$20.12 LRD 3,468

43.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.95 LRD 335

176.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.81 LRD 313

106.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$24.79 LRD 4,273

-76.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.27 LRD 220

21.26%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$19.7K LRD 3.4M

14.63%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$15.0K LRD 2.6M

73.20%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$149 LRD 25.8K

-38.84%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$22.31 LRD 3,846

12.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$183 LRD 31.5K

-82.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$62.8 LRD 10.8K

6.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$10.16 LRD 1,751

186.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$4.86 LRD 838

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

$224 MX$3,851

$101 LRD 17.4K

121.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$1,018 LRD 175.5K

315.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$24.62 LRD 4,243

91.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$32.27 LRD 5,562

37.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$54.5 LRD 9,393

46.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$93.8 LRD 16.2K

-1.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$255 LRD 43.9K

317.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$96.3 LRD 16.6K

305.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$653 LRD 112.5K

229.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$269 LRD 46.4K

372.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$686 LRD 118.3K

10.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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 Monrovia: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $255 in Monrovia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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 3% 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.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $255 in Monrovia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $101 in Monrovia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 43% less than in Monrovia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,300 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 $1,266 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 3% less than in Monrovia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.