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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,311 in Popayan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,104 in Popayan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,896 in Popayan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 3% cheaper than Popayan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Popayan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Popayan 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.42 COP 23.1K

56.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$46.79 COP 146.0K

0.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$9.41 COP 29.3K

26.25%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.43 COP 7,580

63.79%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.52 COP 4,731

-5.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.98 COP 3,069

-16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.65 COP 8,267

20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.33 COP 13.5K

56.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.33 COP 4,160

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.51 COP 7,845

-12.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.57 COP 4,887

8.92%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.82 COP 8,807

-2.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.85 COP 27.6K

8.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$10.82 COP 33.8K

-16.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$12.63 COP 39.4K

1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.22 COP 10.1K

-10.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.65 COP 5,136

-9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.79 COP 5,590

20.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.66 COP 5,177

36.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.69 COP 5,286

17.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.48 COP 4,621

34.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.28 COP 3,986

-3.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.09 COP 3,409

10.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.65 COP 11.4K

24.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$13.67 COP 42.6K

-24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.36 COP 4,249

19.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.62 COP 8,184

9.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.18 COP 3,668

-49.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.49 COP 4,644

261.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.24 COP 6,989

66.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$8.46 COP 26.4K

-31.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.38 COP 4,294

11.59%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$25.1K COP 78.3M

-10.19%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$33.9K COP 105.8M

-23.11%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$115 COP 357.4K

-20.22%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$14.07 COP 43.9K

79.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$25.98 COP 81.1K

20.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$38.08 COP 118.8K

76.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.53 COP 23.5K

-35.46%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$628 COP 2.0M

-64.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$7,376 COP 23.0M

-42.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$84.2 COP 262.7K

-44.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$51.2 COP 159.8K

-13.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$136 COP 423.4K

-40.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$116 COP 362.2K

-20.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$763 COP 2.4M

39.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$544 COP 1.7M

-28.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$920 COP 2.9M

133.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$984 COP 3.1M

29.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$2,286 COP 7.1M

75.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,938 COP 6.0M

235.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.58

-1.12%

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 Popayan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $763 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $47.00 in Popayan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $282 – making Playa del Carmen 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 – Popayan is pricier by about 4%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,967 in Popayan. 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 $1,311 in Popayan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $628 in Popayan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Popayan at $1,311. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Popayan 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.

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