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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $805 in Popayan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,223 in Popayan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,640 in Popayan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 61% more than Popayan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Popayan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Popayan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.98 COP 14.2K

194.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$24.01 COP 85.7K

73.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.18 COP 25.6K

48.19%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.51 COP 5,406

133.11%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.86 COP 3,073

75.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.58 COP 2,069

67.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.15 COP 4,101

156.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.12 COP 7,573

109.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.05 COP 3,757

31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.25 COP 4,447

51.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.18 COP 4,199

38.98%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.21 COP 7,887

13.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.54 COP 16.2K

83.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.18 COP 18.5K

61.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.14 COP 25.5K

50.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.43 COP 8,678

7.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.07 COP 3,818

36.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.36 COP 4,843

39.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.85 COP 3,022

144.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.11 COP 3,980

60.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.12 COP 4,009

95.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.88 COP 3,149

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.64 COP 2,279

68.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.31 COP 8,264

76.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$10.38 COP 37.1K

-0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.13 COP 4,046

51.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.80 COP 6,437

43.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.69 COP 2,461

-26.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$29.66 COP 105.9K

-10.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.46 COP 5,214

123.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.71 COP 6,104

45.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.15 COP 21.9K

-47.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.99 COP 3,543

32.32%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$17.9K COP 63.9M

69.33%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$25.5K COP 91.2M

-8.27%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$83.5 COP 298.2K

-0.77%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$8.86 COP 31.6K

150.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$22.84 COP 81.6K

28.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$23.53 COP 84.0K

119.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$3.93 COP 14.0K

29.01%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$241 COP 861.1K

-16.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$6,042 COP 21.6M

-13.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$58.4 COP 208.4K

-36.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$32.94 COP 117.6K

20.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$82.9 COP 296.0K

-5.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$72.8 COP 259.8K

19.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$284 COP 1.0M

243.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$242 COP 863.9K

93.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$525 COP 1.9M

212.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$423 COP 1.5M

188.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,434 COP 5.1M

175.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,260 COP 4.5M

415.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.18

-13.35%

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 Popayan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $284 in Popayan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Popayan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $172 – making Popayan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 61%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,207 in Popayan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Popayan, 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $805 in Popayan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Popayan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Popayan, where all-in costs run around $805, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Popayan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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