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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,715 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,683 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,652 in Monterrey.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 25% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Monterrey is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$14.60 MX$246

-19.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$53.5 MX$904

-12.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$11.95 MX$202

-2.51%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$4.29 MX$72.4

-4.66%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$1.73 MX$29.15

-20.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$1.06 MX$17.95

-21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$2.95 MX$49.84

13.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$4.73 MX$79.8

46.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$2.00 MX$33.70

-13.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$3.15 MX$53.1

-28.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$2.07 MX$34.86

-14.49%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$2.78 MX$46.99

-1.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$13.18 MX$222

-30.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$10.11 MX$171

-11.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$13.97 MX$236

-9.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$3.49 MX$58.9

-13.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$1.64 MX$27.64

-4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$2.28 MX$38.41

-6.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$2.60 MX$43.85

-13.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$2.53 MX$42.75

-20.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$2.85 MX$48.03

-27.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$1.56 MX$26.30

-24.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$1.29 MX$21.74

-6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$5.21 MX$87.9

-11.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$14.84 MX$250

-27.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$2.01 MX$33.96

-19.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$3.13 MX$52.9

-7.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.90 MX$15.13

-36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

$33.72 MX$569

-11.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$1.85 MX$31.28

194.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$1.19 MX$20.14

210.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$11.82 MX$199

-49.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.67 MX$28.26

-7.19%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$22.6K MX$381.0K

-1.09%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$27.1K MX$457.6K

-4.29%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$128 MX$2,161

-30.39%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$28.03 MX$473

-10.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$28.47 MX$481

10.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$32.66 MX$551

107.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$23.24 MX$392

24.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$5.58 MX$94.2

-9.50%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$734 MX$12.4K

-69.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$12.1K MX$204.5K

-65.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$79.5 MX$1,342

-40.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$46.39 MX$783

-3.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$120 MX$2,024

-31.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$133 MX$2,252

-30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$1,052 MX$17.8K

1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$739 MX$12.5K

-45.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$2,020 MX$34.1K

-4.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$1,358 MX$22.9K

-4.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$4,486 MX$75.7K

-10.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$2,663 MX$44.9K

148.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$1,153 MX$19.5K

-35.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.56

-0.95%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $1,052 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 54% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $333 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Monterrey differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $1,715 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Monterrey. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,052 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,715 in Monterrey – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,715 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.