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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $980 in Soledad, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,432 in Soledad, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,883 in Soledad, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 30% more than Soledad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Soledad are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Soledad 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.00 COP 20.9K

97.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$23.29 COP 81.3K

84.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.75 COP 34.0K

9.23%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.57 COP 5,483

119.75%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.81 COP 2,831

85.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.72 COP 2,516

31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.29 COP 4,491

134.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.94 COP 10.3K

56.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.14 COP 3,992

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.84 COP 6,437

0.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.38 COP 4,820

16.67%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.18 COP 7,592

18.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$6.76 COP 23.6K

22.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.99 COP 20.9K

39.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.98 COP 27.8K

33.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.25 COP 11.3K

-19.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.11 COP 3,876

34.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.45 COP 5,069

32.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.60 COP 5,581

30.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.54 COP 5,370

20.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.07 COP 3,728

111.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.01 COP 3,522

4.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.60 COP 2,078

81.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.34 COP 8,167

77.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$18.09 COP 63.1K

-42.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.99 COP 3,443

73.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$0.98 COP 3,433

166.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.72 COP 2,510

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$29.99 COP 104.7K

-10.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.92 COP 6,712

63.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.71 COP 5,984

46.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.91 COP 17.1K

-35.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.02 COP 3,560

24.51%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$18.8K COP 65.7M

61.28%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$30.8K COP 107.5M

-23.46%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$143 COP 497.7K

-41.80%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$10.94 COP 38.2K

107.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$25.33 COP 88.4K

16.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$23.80 COP 83.1K

114.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$2.94 COP 10.2K

67.69%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$144 COP 503.2K

36.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$5,892 COP 20.6M

-10.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$48.10 COP 167.9K

-23.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$38.58 COP 134.7K

3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$126 COP 441.2K

-36.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$115 COP 401.4K

-22.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$283 COP 988.4K

237.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$235 COP 821.0K

102.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$521 COP 1.8M

215.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$422 COP 1.5M

190.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,581 COP 5.5M

147.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,353 COP 4.7M

377.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-23.87%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Soledad: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $283 in Soledad. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Soledad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $216 – making Soledad 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 Soledad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 30%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,471 in Soledad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Soledad, 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 $980 in Soledad. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Soledad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Soledad, where all-in costs run around $980, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Soledad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Soledad – 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 Soledad. 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.