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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $739 in Neiva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,125 in Neiva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,510 in Neiva.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Neiva 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.87 COP 10.2K

308.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$16.01 COP 57.1K

159.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.91 COP 28.2K

34.51%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.35 COP 4,825

160.74%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.78 COP 2,770

93.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.46 COP 1,626

110.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.00 COP 3,578

195.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.16 COP 7,704

106.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.22 COP 4,341

13.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.76 COP 2,714

148.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.45 COP 1,608

264.44%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.64 COP 5,847

53.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.63 COP 16.5K

80.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$5.01 COP 17.9K

66.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.46 COP 23.0K

66.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.49 COP 5,308

74.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.08 COP 3,855

35.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.35 COP 4,816

40.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.25 COP 4,443

66.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.12 COP 3,992

58.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.17 COP 4,172

87.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.78 COP 2,794

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.46 COP 1,642

134.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.98 COP 7,073

106.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$13.39 COP 47.7K

-22.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.11 COP 3,943

54.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.85 COP 6,606

39.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.73 COP 2,611

-30.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$29.58 COP 105.5K

-10.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.18 COP 4,189

176.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.48 COP 5,294

68.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$6.01 COP 21.4K

-45.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.81 COP 2,871

61.73%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$16.0K COP 57.0M

89.46%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$24.8K COP 88.4M

-5.53%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$71.3 COP 254.3K

16.18%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$10.20 COP 36.3K

117.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$12.34 COP 44.0K

137.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$23.24 COP 82.9K

122.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$3.58 COP 12.8K

41.62%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$297 COP 1.1M

-32.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$8,368 COP 29.8M

-37.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$60.3 COP 215.0K

-38.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$41.40 COP 147.6K

-3.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$61.0 COP 217.4K

28.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$60.4 COP 215.2K

44.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$280 COP 997.9K

247.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$241 COP 859.7K

93.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$536 COP 1.9M

206.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$421 COP 1.5M

189.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,544 COP 5.5M

155.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,254 COP 4.5M

418.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$398 COP 1.4M

66.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-4.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Neiva: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $280 in Neiva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 67% 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 $16.00 in Neiva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $162 per month, with Neiva 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 Neiva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Neiva wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Neiva the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 67% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 in Neiva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Neiva – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $739 in Neiva versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Neiva but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Neiva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Neiva delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Neiva hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Neiva 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.