Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Montes Claros Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Montes Claros

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $735 in Montes Claros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,194 in Montes Claros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,653 in Montes Claros.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 75% more expensive than Montes Claros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Montes Claros 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.18 R$15.89

275.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$27.16 R$136

57.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.35 R$31.69

66.77%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.78 R$8.89

103.37%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.11 R$5.55

32.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.66 R$3.28

42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.29 R$6.46

139.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.73 R$13.61

63.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.02 R$5.08

40.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.49 R$7.44

26.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.13 R$5.64

44.25%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.02 R$10.09

30.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.36 R$41.72

-1.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.74 R$18.64

121.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$7.10 R$35.43

56.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.12 R$10.57

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.30 R$6.50

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.14 R$5.66

74.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.44 R$7.18

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.16 R$5.78

54.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.06 R$5.30

105.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.73 R$3.67

47.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.62 R$3.10

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.15 R$10.71

84.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.03 R$40.06

27.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.23 R$6.14

40.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.98 R$9.88

26.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.73 R$3.65

-28.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$38.45 R$192

-29.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.06 R$5.29

196.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.75 R$3.73

220.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.29 R$31.38

-50.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.99 R$4.92

28.28%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$20.6K R$102.9K

49.70%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$27.7K R$138.2K

-15.79%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$59.8 R$298

37.26%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$13.63 R$68.0

64.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$18.09 R$90.3

63.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$19.79 R$98.7

162.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$22.05 R$110

-15.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.34 R$31.61

-21.61%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$273 R$1,362

-27.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$6,581 R$32.8K

-19.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$48.26 R$241

-24.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$42.61 R$213

-6.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$75.6 R$377

5.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$63.8 R$319

39.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$320 R$1,598

200.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$212 R$1,058

119.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$572 R$2,855

179.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$426 R$2,124

184.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,665 R$8,309

136.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,186 R$5,917

443.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$398 R$1,988

80.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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 Montes Claros: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $320 in Montes Claros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 81% 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 $27.00 in Montes Claros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $175 per month, with Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Montes Claros differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $735 including rent). Montes Claros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 81% 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 $320 in Montes Claros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montes Claros runs roughly 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $273 in Montes Claros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $735 in Montes Claros versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montes Claros but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.