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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,345 in Neiva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,077 in Neiva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,810 in Neiva.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 6% less than in Neiva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Neiva 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$8.23 COP 25.7K

40.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$41.43 COP 129.3K

13.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$10.21 COP 31.9K

16.36%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.63 COP 8,198

51.33%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.31 COP 4,087

9.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.84 COP 2,607

-2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.91 COP 5,958

67.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.90 COP 12.2K

74.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.59 COP 4,971

5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.44 COP 7,614

-9.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.73 COP 5,406

-1.16%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.86 COP 12.1K

-29.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.23 COP 25.7K

16.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$7.59 COP 23.7K

18.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.71 COP 33.4K

19.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.54 COP 11.0K

-18.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.78 COP 5,563

-15.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.06 COP 6,439

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.78 COP 5,543

26.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.52 COP 4,747

30.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.46 COP 4,565

36.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.34 COP 4,179

-8.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.21 COP 3,788

-0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.55 COP 14.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$12.94 COP 40.4K

-19.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.44 COP 4,484

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.97 COP 9,272

-3.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.05 COP 3,291

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.38 COP 7,423

126.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.42 COP 7,564

54.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$9.84 COP 30.7K

-41.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.39 COP 4,328

10.79%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$22.4K COP 69.8M

0.75%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$36.1K COP 112.7M

-27.85%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$130 COP 404.1K

-29.44%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$16.61 COP 51.8K

51.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$31.72 COP 99.0K

-1.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$31.79 COP 99.2K

111.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.96 COP 24.8K

-38.94%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$477 COP 1.5M

-53.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$6,636 COP 20.7M

-36.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$81.8 COP 255.2K

-42.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$50.8 COP 158.5K

-12.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$144 COP 448.3K

-44.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$112 COP 350.2K

-17.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$756 COP 2.4M

40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$486 COP 1.5M

-19.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$986 COP 3.1M

118.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$1,030 COP 3.2M

23.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,754 COP 5.5M

128.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,603 COP 5.0M

305.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-4.58%

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 Neiva: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $756 in Neiva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $41.00 in Neiva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $269 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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Neiva. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $2,017 in Neiva to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $756 in Neiva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Neiva pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,345 in Neiva – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,345 in Neiva, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Neiva. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Neiva. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.