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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,280 in Monteria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,055 in Monteria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,831 in Monteria.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 1% less than in Monteria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Monteria 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.95 COP 15.4K

134.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$42.47 COP 132.5K

10.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$9.93 COP 31.0K

19.64%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.54 COP 11.1K

12.43%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.89 COP 5,886

-24.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.81 COP 5,647

-54.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.07 COP 6,475

54.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.93 COP 15.4K

37.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.89 COP 5,903

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.91 COP 9,085

-24.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.47 COP 4,587

16.33%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$5.02 COP 15.7K

-45.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.02 COP 25.0K

19.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$9.89 COP 30.9K

-8.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$11.76 COP 36.7K

8.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.76 COP 11.7K

-23.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.38 COP 4,300

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.81 COP 5,653

18.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.88 COP 5,875

20.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.45 COP 4,532

36.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.55 COP 4,845

28.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.05 COP 3,284

17.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.18 COP 3,669

1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.06 COP 12.7K

12.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$14.76 COP 46.0K

-29.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.40 COP 4,365

15.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.59 COP 8,092

11.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.03 COP 3,201

-41.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.58 COP 4,934

241.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$3.85 COP 12.0K

-3.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$9.58 COP 29.9K

-39.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.37 COP 4,263

12.41%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$24.1K COP 75.3M

-6.53%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$35.6K COP 111.1M

-26.79%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$81.3 COP 253.8K

12.34%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$13.02 COP 40.6K

93.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$31.71 COP 98.9K

-1.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$39.52 COP 123.3K

70.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$8.17 COP 25.5K

-40.51%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$640 COP 2.0M

-65.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$5,997 COP 18.7M

-29.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$97.7 COP 304.8K

-51.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$61.2 COP 191.0K

-27.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$132 COP 412.5K

-39.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$104 COP 324.1K

-10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$724 COP 2.3M

46.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$524 COP 1.6M

-25.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,000 COP 3.1M

114.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$901 COP 2.8M

41.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,748 COP 5.5M

128.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,675 COP 5.2M

288.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-23.67%

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 Monteria: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $724 in Monteria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $42.00 in Monteria. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $294, 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 Monteria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Monteria. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,919 in Monteria 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $724 in Monteria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $640 in Monteria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $42.00 in Monteria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,280 in Monteria, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Monteria. 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 1% less than in Monteria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.