Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Montecatini Terme Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Montecatini Terme

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,834 in Montecatini Terme.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,711 in Montecatini Terme.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,587 in Montecatini Terme.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 29% less than in Montecatini Terme, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Montecatini Terme is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$20.86 €17.96

-43.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$38.44 €33.10

8.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$11.70 €10.08

-9.06%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$1.66 €1.43

112.05%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$2.28 €1.96

-33.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$1.18 €1.01

-17.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$5.12 €4.41

-42.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$5.65 €4.86

-21.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$1.39 €1.20

-0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$2.79 €2.40

-32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$2.53 €2.18

-35.18%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$4.73 €4.07

-46.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$10.58 €9.11

-21.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$14.92 €12.85

-44.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$22.61 €19.47

-52.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$2.78 €2.39

-6.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$2.68 €2.30

-45.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$3.59 €3.09

-47.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$3.95 €3.40

-47.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$2.80 €2.41

-36.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$1.82 €1.57

20.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$1.51 €1.30

-31.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.48 €0.41

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$6.55 €5.64

-37.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$9.11 €7.84

13.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$1.06 €0.91

61.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$1.48 €1.28

74.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.76 €1.52

-71.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$42.63 €36.70

-37.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$6.65 €5.73

-50.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$1.11 €0.96

124.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$34.00 €29.27

-90.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.99 €1.71

-34.17%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$27.5K €23.7K

9.96%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$36.6K €31.5K

-36.06%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$267 €230

-68.96%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$11.36 €9.78

95.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$30.92 €26.62

-5.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$59.7 €51.4

-13.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$22.70 €19.54

-19.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$10.12 €8.71

-49.90%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$709 €611

-71.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$11.3K €9,688

-53.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$101 €86.7

-63.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$35.28 €30.37

12.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$101 €86.8

-22.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$129 €111

-32.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$767 €660

26.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$585 €504

-20.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,216 €1,047

34.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$926 €797

31.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$2,948 €2,538

33.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$2,119 €1,824

206.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

185.50%

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 Montecatini Terme: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $767 in Montecatini Terme. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Montecatini Terme. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $359, with Playa del Carmen 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 Montecatini Terme: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $2,751 in Montecatini Terme 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $767 in Montecatini Terme. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Montecatini Terme. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $38.00 in Montecatini Terme. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,834 in Montecatini Terme, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Montecatini Terme. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montecatini Terme, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Montecatini Terme 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Montecatini Terme. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.