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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $752 in Monteria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,162 in Monteria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,572 in Monteria.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 69% more expensive than Monteria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Monteria 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.95 COP 17.3K

139.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$31.49 COP 109.9K

36.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.15 COP 25.0K

48.95%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.77 COP 6,175

94.92%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.87 COP 3,054

72.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.64 COP 2,233

48.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.30 COP 4,533

133.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.97 COP 6,879

134.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.92 COP 3,199

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.32 COP 4,601

40.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.02 COP 3,545

57.84%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.49 COP 5,202

73.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$4.62 COP 16.1K

78.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$2.87 COP 10.0K

191.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$3.83 COP 13.4K

178.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.91 COP 6,657

37.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.47 COP 1,637

217.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.00 COP 3,499

92.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.78 COP 2,725

167.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.89 COP 3,090

108.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.00 COP 3,478

126.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.88 COP 3,068

20.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.46 COP 1,612

136.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.74 COP 9,576

51.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.05 COP 35.1K

3.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.84 COP 2,943

104.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.28 COP 4,459

103.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.69 COP 2,397

-21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$30.41 COP 106.1K

-11.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.96 COP 6,847

59.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.81 COP 9,821

-10.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.31 COP 15.0K

-26.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.93 COP 3,260

36.56%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$14.0K COP 49.0M

116.25%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$22.5K COP 78.5M

4.73%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$95.7 COP 334.0K

-13.26%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$7.43 COP 25.9K

205.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$18.99 COP 66.3K

55.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$23.46 COP 81.9K

117.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$9.72 COP 33.9K

88.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.85 COP 13.4K

28.05%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$168 COP 587.1K

17.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,852 COP 6.5M

185.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$59.5 COP 207.8K

-38.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$19.22 COP 67.1K

107.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$60.2 COP 210.0K

32.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$36.34 COP 126.8K

146.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$286 COP 998.0K

234.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$242 COP 845.5K

96.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$535 COP 1.9M

207.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$433 COP 1.5M

183.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,569 COP 5.5M

149.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,245 COP 4.3M

418.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$358 COP 1.2M

86.52%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Monteria: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $286 in Monteria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 87% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Monteria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $133 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 69% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 87% more on average, 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $286 in Monteria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $168 in Monteria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $752 in Monteria versus $1,271 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 $752 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 69% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.