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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,325 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,333 in Tunja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,355 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,026 in Tunja, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,384 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,720 in Tunja, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 1% cheaper than Tunja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tunja are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 2% lower, Tunja 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.87 MX$220

$7.93 COP 24.8K

62.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.29 MX$807

$40.53 COP 126.8K

16.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.79 MX$218

$9.52 COP 29.8K

34.35%

Cappuccino

$3.96 MX$67.6

$2.51 COP 7,866

57.77%

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

$1.43 MX$24.38

$1.30 COP 4,082

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.10

$0.81 COP 2,529

2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.8

$1.91 COP 5,972

58.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 MX$119

$3.83 COP 12.0K

81.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 MX$28.89

$1.61 COP 5,049

4.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 MX$36.37

$2.34 COP 7,324

-8.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MX$28.82

$1.63 COP 5,098

3.68%

Eggs

$2.76 MX$47.09

$3.78 COP 11.8K

-26.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 MX$157

$7.03 COP 22.0K

30.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 MX$154

$7.31 COP 22.9K

23.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.39 MX$212

$10.80 COP 33.8K

14.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 MX$52.7

$3.40 COP 10.6K

-9.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.39

$1.71 COP 5,354

-9.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 MX$36.60

$1.91 COP 5,988

12.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.62

$1.79 COP 5,598

22.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.02

$1.41 COP 4,417

45.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 MX$34.69

$1.35 COP 4,237

50.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 MX$20.86

$1.32 COP 4,142

-7.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.42

$1.06 COP 3,319

7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MX$78.9

$4.45 COP 13.9K

3.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 MX$181

$12.87 COP 40.3K

-17.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 MX$27.99

$1.36 COP 4,242

20.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 MX$50.1

$2.97 COP 9,305

-1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.33

$1.09 COP 3,414

-44.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.50 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 MX$90.6

$1.00 COP 3,121

431.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$63.6

$2.36 COP 7,394

58.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 MX$98.8

$8.52 COP 26.7K

-32.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$26.90

$1.28 COP 4,016

23.44%

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

$22.4K MX$382.9K

$22.3K COP 69.9M

0.45%

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

$25.4K MX$433.6K

$36.1K COP 112.8M

-29.56%

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

$90.7 MX$1,548

$128 COP 401.9K

-29.43%

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

$23.03 MX$393

$16.40 COP 51.3K

40.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.71 MX$541

$31.28 COP 97.8K

1.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.1 MX$1,146

$32.96 COP 103.1K

103.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$497

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$86.3

$7.96 COP 24.9K

-36.56%

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

$222 MX$3,781

$472 COP 1.5M

-53.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,223 MX$72.1K

$6,540 COP 20.5M

-35.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 MX$778

$79.3 COP 248.1K

-42.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.06 MX$752

$50.3 COP 157.3K

-12.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 MX$1,644

$138 COP 433.1K

-30.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.3 MX$1,592

$112 COP 351.5K

-16.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 MX$18.3K

$657 COP 2.1M

63.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 MX$6,867

$491 COP 1.5M

-18.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 MX$32.6K

$1,006 COP 3.1M

89.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 MX$21.5K

$935 COP 2.9M

34.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,093 MX$69.9K

$2,032 COP 6.4M

101.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,594 MX$112.6K

$1,561 COP 4.9M

322.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$753 MX$12.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

12.71

-8.73%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 8, 2026

Last update for Tunja: August 10, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,074 in Playa del Carmen versus $657 in Tunja. 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 $41.00 in Tunja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $259 – making Tunja 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 Tunja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tunja is pricier by about 1%, 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 $1,988 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,999 in Tunja. 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 $1,325 in Playa del Carmen and $1,333 in Tunja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $222 per month in Playa del Carmen and $472 in Tunja. 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 $1,325, than in Tunja at $1,333. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tunja 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, Tunja makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.