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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $813 in Salento, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,204 in Salento, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,594 in Salento, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 56% more than Salento, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Salento are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Salento 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.85 COP 12.2K

201.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$23.18 COP 73.6K

103.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.35 COP 23.3K

61.63%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.50 COP 4,759

165.33%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.91 COP 2,897

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.60 COP 1,909

36.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.19 COP 3,767

168.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.21 COP 7,004

207.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.05 COP 3,339

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.24 COP 3,923

77.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.14 COP 3,615

50.00%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.12 COP 6,722

29.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$4.56 COP 14.5K

110.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.39 COP 17.1K

67.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.20 COP 22.9K

77.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.46 COP 7,809

17.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.04 COP 3,299

44.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.31 COP 4,155

64.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.11 COP 3,519

103.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.12 COP 3,551

76.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.17 COP 3,712

70.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.88 COP 2,792

39.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.64 COP 2,023

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.43 COP 7,727

87.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.38 COP 29.8K

10.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.09 COP 3,451

48.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.72 COP 5,457

67.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.73 COP 2,315

-17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$30.31 COP 96.2K

-4.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.47 COP 4,660

266.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.71 COP 5,443

118.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$6.03 COP 19.1K

-4.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.99 COP 3,133

55.56%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$17.8K COP 56.4M

26.95%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$24.9K COP 79.1M

4.60%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$82.6 COP 262.4K

10.58%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$8.86 COP 28.1K

184.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$22.71 COP 72.1K

37.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$23.22 COP 73.7K

189.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$3.97 COP 12.6K

22.42%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$236 COP 750.1K

-5.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$6,055 COP 19.2M

-30.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$58.6 COP 185.9K

-19.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$32.68 COP 103.7K

35.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$82.3 COP 261.3K

-2.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$73.5 COP 233.3K

26.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$267 COP 848.6K

297.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$240 COP 763.0K

62.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$527 COP 1.7M

307.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$424 COP 1.3M

200.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,406 COP 4.5M

184.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,054 COP 3.3M

516.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

13.06

-12.33%

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 Salento: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $267 in Salento. 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 $23.00 in Salento. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $172 – making Salento 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 Salento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 56%, 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 $1,220 in Salento. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salento, 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 $813 in Salento. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Salento. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Salento, where all-in costs run around $813, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Salento it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salento – 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 Salento. 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.