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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $744 in Monteria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,159 in Monteria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,574 in Monteria.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 73% more expensive than Monteria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Monteria 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$4.96 COP 17.9K

140.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$31.80 COP 114.8K

34.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.42 COP 26.8K

42.72%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.69 COP 6,110

114.20%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.91 COP 3,272

61.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.63 COP 2,289

49.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.37 COP 4,936

125.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.96 COP 7,065

127.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.94 COP 3,389

52.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.29 COP 4,641

45.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.07 COP 3,855

52.34%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.42 COP 5,138

85.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$4.47 COP 16.1K

83.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$2.87 COP 10.4K

188.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$3.82 COP 13.8K

190.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.98 COP 7,148

33.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.50 COP 1,794

200.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.92 COP 3,335

116.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.79 COP 2,852

163.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.97 COP 3,502

84.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.01 COP 3,642

115.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.88 COP 3,159

22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.47 COP 1,695

121.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.85 COP 10.3K

39.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$10.05 COP 36.3K

1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.90 COP 3,261

92.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.31 COP 4,739

90.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.68 COP 2,466

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$29.85 COP 107.8K

-9.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.91 COP 6,896

64.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.87 COP 10.4K

-16.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$4.32 COP 15.6K

-28.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.99 COP 3,578

28.28%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$14.2K COP 51.2M

117.74%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$22.2K COP 80.2M

4.98%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$95.6 COP 345.2K

-14.22%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$7.40 COP 26.7K

203.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$19.45 COP 70.2K

52.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$23.63 COP 85.3K

119.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$9.90 COP 35.8K

88.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$3.94 COP 14.2K

26.14%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$169 COP 609.8K

17.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$1,846 COP 6.7M

185.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$60.5 COP 218.5K

-39.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$19.73 COP 71.2K

102.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$61.3 COP 221.3K

30.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$36.71 COP 132.5K

142.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$284 COP 1.0M

239.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$237 COP 855.8K

96.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$530 COP 1.9M

201.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$424 COP 1.5M

185.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,556 COP 5.6M

153.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,362 COP 4.9M

373.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$359 COP 1.3M

100.80%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Monteria: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $284 in Monteria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 101% 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 $32.00 in Monteria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 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 73% 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 101% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $284 in Monteria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $169 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 $744 in Monteria versus $1,287 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 $744 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 73% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.