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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,942 in Montijo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,722 in Montijo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,502 in Montijo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 35% cheaper than Montijo, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Playa del Carmen sits 7% below the global median, while Montijo is 42% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$13.11 €11.43

-11.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$46.64 €40.66

1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$9.21 €8.03

28.99%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.66 €2.32

49.62%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.98 €1.73

-27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.19 €1.04

-31.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$3.44 €3.00

-7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.10 €3.58

65.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.36 €1.18

23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.29 €2.00

-3.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.09 €1.82

-18.18%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.40 €2.96

-19.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.14 €9.71

-14.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$7.14 €6.23

26.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$15.87 €13.83

-19.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.81 €2.45

2.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.52 €1.33

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.86 €1.62

15.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.88 €2.51

-21.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.67 €1.45

18.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.18 €1.90

-8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.76 €1.53

-30.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.84 €0.73

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$6.02 €5.25

-24.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.07 €6.16

46.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$0.95 €0.83

70.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.55 €1.35

85.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$2.36 €2.05

-74.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$46.18 €40.26

-37.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.24 €1.96

140.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.12 €0.98

233.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$19.10 €16.65

-69.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$2.18 €1.90

-29.36%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$34.1K €29.8K

-33.97%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$39.4K €34.4K

-33.92%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$138 €121

-33.96%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$21.36 €18.62

17.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$60.5 €52.7

-48.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$23.47 €20.45

186.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$17.83 €15.54

63.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.91 €6.90

-38.56%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$465 €406

-51.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$11.5K €10.0K

-63.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$69.5 €60.6

-32.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$38.26 €33.35

15.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$73.6 €64.2

8.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$98.0 €85.4

-5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$1,218 €1,061

-12.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$1,004 €875

-61.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,790 €1,560

20.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$1,489 €1,298

-14.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$3,165 €2,759

26.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$2,373 €2,068

174.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,164 €1,015

-34.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.67

211.99%

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 Montijo: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,218 in Montijo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 54% higher in Montijo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $47.00 in Montijo. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $269 in Montijo – so Montijo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Montijo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montijo is pricier by about 53%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,912 in Montijo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,942 in Montijo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Montijo at $1,942. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montijo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montijo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.