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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $820 in Montes Claros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,327 in Montes Claros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,833 in Montes Claros.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 54% more expensive than in Montes Claros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Montes Claros 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.45 R$17.75

236.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$31.28 R$161

50.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.03 R$36.13

68.99%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.90 R$9.78

109.47%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.24 R$6.36

15.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.79 R$4.04

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.43 R$7.38

123.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.00 R$15.42

126.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.07 R$5.51

57.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.67 R$8.59

31.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.26 R$6.46

35.71%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.19 R$11.28

25.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.52 R$43.80

12.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.09 R$21.02

120.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.25 R$42.40

55.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.85 R$9.50

56.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.28 R$6.56

17.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.07 R$5.49

100.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.42 R$7.28

59.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.03 R$5.30

92.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.07 R$5.51

85.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.81 R$4.15

51.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.69 R$3.53

73.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.38 R$12.21

91.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.56 R$38.86

37.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.41 R$7.27

14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.31 R$11.86

24.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.76 R$3.89

-21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$46.79 R$241

-38.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.23 R$6.35

338.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.87 R$4.46

328.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$8.84 R$45.45

-34.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.05 R$5.41

46.67%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$23.6K R$121.3K

-4.43%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$32.2K R$165.7K

-19.14%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$67.3 R$346

35.72%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$11.99 R$61.7

110.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$19.00 R$97.7

64.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$25.85 R$133

159.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$28.96 R$149

0.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$8.12 R$41.78

-40.15%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$335 R$1,724

-33.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$7,005 R$36.0K

-39.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$53.1 R$273

-11.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$47.92 R$246

-7.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$93.9 R$483

-14.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$69.8 R$359

32.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$344 R$1,767

209.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$232 R$1,194

68.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$653 R$3,356

229.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$450 R$2,315

182.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,455 R$7,481

175.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,215 R$6,248

435.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$387 R$1,988

96.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.06

3.53%

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 Montes Claros: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $344 in Montes Claros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 96% 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 $31.00 in Montes Claros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $184 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 54% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $820 including rent). Montes Claros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 96% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $344 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 62% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $335 in Montes Claros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $820 in Montes Claros versus $1,266 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 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.