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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $764 in Monteria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,174 in Monteria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,584 in Monteria.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 65% more expensive than in Monteria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Monteria 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.96 COP 15.6K

136.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$31.72 COP 99.9K

32.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.42 COP 23.3K

41.64%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.78 COP 5,590

101.69%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.87 COP 2,736

73.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.61 COP 1,910

50.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.37 COP 4,302

116.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.92 COP 6,045

129.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.93 COP 2,916

50.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.26 COP 3,974

49.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.02 COP 3,202

52.94%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.49 COP 4,683

75.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$4.55 COP 14.3K

82.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$2.85 COP 8,963

192.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$3.84 COP 12.1K

182.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.95 COP 6,150

38.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.46 COP 1,445

228.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.92 COP 2,905

103.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.82 COP 2,593

167.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.91 COP 2,854

104.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.02 COP 3,200

118.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.86 COP 2,693

24.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.50 COP 1,580

118.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.87 COP 9,029

45.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$11.02 COP 34.7K

-5.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$0.91 COP 2,871

82.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.32 COP 4,154

97.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.69 COP 2,172

-21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$29.78 COP 93.7K

-12.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.88 COP 5,930

63.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.84 COP 8,946

-15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$4.42 COP 13.9K

-29.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.94 COP 2,975

39.36%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$13.9K COP 43.7M

114.83%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$22.2K COP 69.8M

5.21%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$96.0 COP 302.2K

-15.32%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$7.35 COP 23.1K

206.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$19.53 COP 61.5K

53.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$23.27 COP 73.2K

127.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$9.81 COP 30.9K

87.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$3.81 COP 12.0K

29.13%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$170 COP 533.9K

18.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$1,847 COP 5.8M

180.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$61.7 COP 194.2K

-41.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$19.38 COP 61.0K

107.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$59.8 COP 188.3K

33.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$36.20 COP 114.0K

138.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$277 COP 872.9K

252.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$240 COP 754.2K

96.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$527 COP 1.7M

213.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$435 COP 1.4M

176.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,582 COP 5.0M

149.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,388 COP 4.4M

376.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$403 COP 1.3M

67.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Monteria: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $277 in Monteria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 68% 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 $32.00 in Monteria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $135 per month, with Monteria 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 Monteria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monteria wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monteria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 68% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $277 in Monteria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $170 in Monteria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $764 in Monteria versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monteria but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Monteria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monteria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $764 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monteria hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Monteria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.