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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $762 in Montes Claros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,191 in Montes Claros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,619 in Montes Claros.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 70% more expensive than in Montes Claros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Montes Claros 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$204

$3.11 R$16.03

277.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$725

$27.32 R$141

52.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$181

$6.28 R$32.39

65.76%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.71 R$8.82

111.11%

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

$1.46 MX$25.28

$1.13 R$5.84

29.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.66 R$3.42

46.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.8

$1.35 R$6.96

116.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.2

$2.78 R$14.35

66.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$0.93 R$4.82

53.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$1.45 R$7.46

31.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.18

$1.18 R$6.11

33.05%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.73

$2.04 R$10.50

29.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$146

$8.42 R$43.46

0.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$149

$3.54 R$18.29

142.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$191

$7.31 R$37.74

50.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.91

$2.12 R$10.94

27.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$1.32 R$6.80

14.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.22

$1.14 R$5.89

67.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.69

$1.46 R$7.54

48.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.53

$1.16 R$5.99

61.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.76

$1.11 R$5.73

100.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$0.75 R$3.85

44.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.67 R$3.44

59.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.2

$2.07 R$10.68

100.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$179

$8.00 R$41.30

28.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.20

$1.21 R$6.24

38.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$2.00 R$10.32

26.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$0.69 R$3.56

-20.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$456

$37.80 R$195

-30.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$1.11 R$5.74

188.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.73

$0.70 R$3.61

251.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$6.55 R$33.80

-51.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$0.92 R$4.76

43.48%

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

$30.2K MX$523.3K

$20.3K R$104.9K

48.42%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$27.9K R$144.1K

-16.21%

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

$81.4 MX$1,412

$60.1 R$310

35.36%

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

$22.41 MX$389

$13.67 R$70.6

63.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$520

$17.68 R$91.2

69.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$19.80 R$102

160.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$21.78 R$112

-15.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$89.6

$6.38 R$32.91

-19.12%

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

$202 MX$3,501

$268 R$1,385

-24.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$92.2K

$6,581 R$34.0K

-19.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$618

$48.92 R$252

-27.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$701

$42.19 R$218

-4.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,365

$76.5 R$395

2.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,507

$63.9 R$330

36.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.5K

$319 R$1,645

197.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,298

$215 R$1,110

122.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$28.1K

$593 R$3,061

173.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$422 R$2,178

189.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.6K

$1,654 R$8,537

142.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$112.3K

$1,029 R$5,310

529.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

$400 R$2,064

68.27%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Montes Claros: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $319 in Montes Claros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 68% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Montes Claros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 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 70% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $762 including rent). Montes Claros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 68% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $319 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 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $268 in Montes Claros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $762 in Montes Claros versus $1,294 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 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.