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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,309 per month in Podgorica vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,997 per month in Podgorica vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,685 per month in Podgorica vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Podgorica costs about 4% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Podgorica and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Podgorica 2% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.72 €8.49

$11.99 MX$210

-18.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.18 €41.22

$41.78 MX$731

12.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 €8.30

$10.75 MX$188

-11.63%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.87

$3.50 MX$61.1

-38.86%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$1.45 MX$25.33

57.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.26

$0.88 MX$15.47

63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 €2.51

$2.95 MX$51.6

-2.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 €2.95

$4.51 MX$78.9

-25.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.43 MX$25.04

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 €0.86

$1.84 MX$32.13

-46.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.57 MX$27.42

45.86%

Eggs

$3.19 €2.79

$2.51 MX$43.92

27.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 €7.52

$8.28 MX$145

3.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.91

$8.43 MX$147

-6.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.88 €10.38

$10.68 MX$187

11.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 €1.32

$2.61 MX$45.62

-42.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.44 MX$25.15

21.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 €1.40

$1.96 MX$34.31

-17.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.23

$2.09 MX$36.62

22.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.91

$1.85 MX$32.37

-43.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 €0.97

$2.17 MX$37.90

-48.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.03 MX$18.04

79.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.07 MX$18.78

-24.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 €3.66

$4.10 MX$71.7

2.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.05

$10.17 MX$178

-43.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.68 MX$29.29

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.56

$2.53 MX$44.17

-29.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 €0.89

$0.51 MX$8.90

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.27 €29.94

$26.04 MX$455

31.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 €0.58

$3.23 MX$56.5

-79.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 €0.66

$2.41 MX$42.06

-68.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.73 €10.24

$3.23 MX$56.5

263.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.32 MX$23.10

33.33%

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

$29.5K €25.7K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

-0.81%

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

$32.3K €28.2K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

36.34%

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

$115 €100

$82.0 MX$1,434

40.14%

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

$18.25 €15.95

$22.95 MX$401

-20.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.94 €27.90

$30.11 MX$527

6.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.89 €38.35

$52.0 MX$909

-15.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.47 €11.77

$18.53 MX$324

-27.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.84 €5.11

$4.98 MX$87.0

17.27%

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

$284 €248

$197 MX$3,452

44.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,580 €6,622

$5,336 MX$93.3K

42.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.2 €74.4

$35.60 MX$622

139.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.19 €39.48

$40.33 MX$705

12.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 €82.3

$78.8 MX$1,377

19.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €97.0

$88.9 MX$1,555

24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$627 €548

$947 MX$16.6K

-33.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 €433

$474 MX$8,288

4.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 €1,011

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-29.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 €729

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-31.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,080 €2,691

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-24.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 €2,068

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-63.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,145 €1,000

$654 MX$11.4K

75.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.73

11.42

-49.82%

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

Last update for Podgorica: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $627 in Podgorica versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 75% higher in Podgorica, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Podgorica versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $226 in Podgorica vs $249 in Playa del Carmen – so Podgorica 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

Podgorica vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Podgorica is pricier by about 4%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,963 per month in Podgorica and $1,884 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $1,309 in Podgorica and $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Podgorica at $1,309. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Podgorica 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, Podgorica makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.