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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,371 in Rionegro, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,125 in Rionegro, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,280 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,880 in Rionegro, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 7% cheaper than Rionegro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Rionegro is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.84 MX$222

$7.57 COP 24.5K

69.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.54 MX$789

$43.62 COP 140.9K

4.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.58 MX$218

$9.26 COP 29.9K

35.85%

Cappuccino

$3.93 MX$68.0

$2.83 COP 9,157

38.87%

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

$1.38 MX$23.95

$1.77 COP 5,712

-22.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 MX$13.07

$1.49 COP 4,830

-49.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.7

$3.16 COP 10.2K

-3.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 MX$118

$5.78 COP 18.7K

17.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.33 COP 4,303

25.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$38.40

$2.37 COP 7,666

-6.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$1.42 COP 4,587

19.72%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$46.18

$2.64 COP 8,533

1.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 MX$158

$9.11 COP 29.4K

0.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.94 MX$155

$10.71 COP 34.6K

-16.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 MX$217

$14.46 COP 46.7K

-13.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MX$51.8

$3.91 COP 12.6K

-23.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.54

$1.37 COP 4,427

11.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.10

$2.23 COP 7,195

-4.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 MX$39.72

$1.99 COP 6,437

15.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.54

$2.07 COP 6,676

-0.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.39

$1.53 COP 4,954

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.99

$1.04 COP 3,368

16.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$20.44

$1.27 COP 4,114

-7.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MX$80.1

$3.96 COP 12.8K

16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.41 MX$180

$13.10 COP 42.3K

-20.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.54

$1.61 COP 5,206

2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 MX$50.7

$2.95 COP 9,528

-0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 MX$10.29

$1.13 COP 3,658

-47.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.43 MX$493

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 MX$87.8

$1.50 COP 4,850

238.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.66 MX$63.4

$2.11 COP 6,830

73.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 MX$101

$8.22 COP 26.6K

-28.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$27.17

$1.26 COP 4,085

24.60%

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

$22.3K MX$386.3K

$27.1K COP 87.6M

-17.77%

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

$25.7K MX$446.0K

$35.6K COP 115.0M

-27.70%

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

$88.7 MX$1,536

$149 COP 479.9K

-40.30%

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

$22.82 MX$395

$12.89 COP 41.7K

77.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.42 MX$527

$31.73 COP 102.5K

-4.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 MX$1,183

$37.68 COP 121.7K

81.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.60 MX$496

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$85.6

$6.24 COP 20.2K

-20.83%

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

$216 MX$3,745

$841 COP 2.7M

-74.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,146 MX$71.8K

$8,671 COP 28.0M

-52.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.48 MX$805

$88.1 COP 284.5K

-47.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 MX$765

$54.5 COP 175.9K

-18.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 MX$1,597

$135 COP 436.1K

-31.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 MX$1,617

$107 COP 345.4K

-12.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 MX$18.7K

$729 COP 2.4M

48.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MX$6,742

$541 COP 1.7M

-28.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$33.5K

$856 COP 2.8M

125.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 MX$22.1K

$913 COP 2.9M

39.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,958 MX$68.6K

$2,258 COP 7.3M

75.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,438 MX$111.5K

$1,527 COP 4.9M

321.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

10.43

11.22%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 4, 2026

Last update for Rionegro: August 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,080 in Playa del Carmen versus $729 in Rionegro. 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $44.00 in Rionegro. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Playa del Carmen vs $293 in Rionegro – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Rionegro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rionegro is pricier by about 8%, 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 $1,907 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,056 in Rionegro. 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,371 in Rionegro. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $216 per month in Playa del Carmen and $841 in Rionegro. 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 $1,271, than in Rionegro at $1,371. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rionegro 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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