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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $736 in Neiva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,125 in Neiva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,515 in Neiva.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 71% more expensive than in Neiva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Neiva 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.88 COP 9,384

316.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$15.43 COP 50.2K

170.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.77 COP 25.3K

38.35%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.36 COP 4,424

157.35%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.75 COP 2,446

93.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.47 COP 1,527

87.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.04 COP 3,387

183.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.17 COP 7,058

107.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.17 COP 3,814

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.71 COP 2,327

159.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.43 COP 1,384

265.12%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.56 COP 5,078

60.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$4.61 COP 15.0K

79.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.14 COP 16.7K

64.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$6.84 COP 22.3K

56.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.42 COP 4,630

83.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.08 COP 3,522

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.36 COP 4,424

44.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.24 COP 4,044

68.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.17 COP 3,811

58.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.17 COP 3,796

85.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.77 COP 2,494

33.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.46 COP 1,501

132.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.89 COP 6,155

116.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$15.49 COP 50.4K

-34.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.10 COP 3,583

52.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.87 COP 6,085

35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.68 COP 2,219

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$29.52 COP 96.1K

-11.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.20 COP 3,894

169.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.48 COP 4,832

62.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.95 COP 19.4K

-45.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.73 COP 2,389

80.82%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$15.8K COP 51.6M

87.41%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$24.8K COP 80.6M

-4.40%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$73.4 COP 238.9K

11.78%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$10.14 COP 33.0K

126.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$12.15 COP 39.6K

147.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$23.40 COP 76.2K

122.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$3.49 COP 11.4K

42.69%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$292 COP 951.7K

-32.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$8,511 COP 27.7M

-37.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$58.4 COP 190.0K

-39.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$42.15 COP 137.2K

-4.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$60.3 COP 196.4K

30.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$60.1 COP 195.5K

48.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$278 COP 905.2K

240.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$237 COP 772.8K

99.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$530 COP 1.7M

210.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$421 COP 1.4M

187.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,513 COP 4.9M

168.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,286 COP 4.2M

403.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$454 COP 1.5M

43.97%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Neiva: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $278 in Neiva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 44% 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 $15.00 in Neiva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $167 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 71% 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.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $278 in Neiva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% 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 $15.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $736 in Neiva versus $1,256 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 $736 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 71% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.