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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,045 in Casablanca versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,601 in Casablanca versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,156 in Casablanca versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Casablanca costs roughly 19% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Casablanca 24% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 MAD 50.1

$11.71 MX$198

-54.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.15 MAD 301

$46.59 MX$788

-30.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 MAD 79.9

$11.65 MX$197

-26.61%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MAD 20.02

$4.09 MX$69.2

-47.68%

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

$1.16 MAD 10.83

$1.37 MX$23.23

-15.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MAD 6.58

$0.83 MX$14.09

-15.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 MAD 46.43

$3.35 MX$56.7

48.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 MAD 51.5

$6.91 MX$117

-20.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 MAD 9.08

$1.73 MX$29.20

-43.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 MAD 7.17

$2.26 MX$38.21

-65.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MAD 17.65

$1.77 MX$29.91

6.78%

Eggs

$1.94 MAD 18.12

$2.73 MX$46.19

-28.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.37 MAD 106

$9.18 MX$155

23.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MAD 72.0

$8.92 MX$151

-13.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.82 MAD 120

$12.60 MX$213

1.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 MAD 16.09

$3.02 MX$51.1

-43.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MAD 14.72

$1.57 MX$26.55

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.44

$2.13 MX$35.93

-62.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.84 MAD 7.82

$2.26 MX$38.28

-62.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 MAD 6.28

$2.00 MX$33.88

-66.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MAD 6.58

$2.06 MX$34.90

-66.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 MAD 4.67

$1.18 MX$19.94

-57.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MAD 4.87

$1.20 MX$20.35

-56.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MAD 39.79

$4.63 MX$78.4

-7.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 MAD 81.7

$10.69 MX$181

-18.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 MAD 25.94

$1.62 MX$27.38

70.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 MAD 29.62

$2.88 MX$48.70

10.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 MAD 7.75

$0.57 MX$9.69

45.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.44 MAD 257

$29.83 MX$504

-8.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 MAD 7.72

$5.45 MX$92.1

-84.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 MAD 2.88

$3.70 MX$62.6

-91.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 MAD 43.58

$5.98 MX$101

-22.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MAD 14.54

$1.55 MX$26.26

0.65%

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

$32.8K MAD 306.6K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

46.91%

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

$31.5K MAD 294.3K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

21.33%

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

$50.7 MAD 474

$89.1 MX$1,507

-43.07%

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

$11.56 MAD 108

$25.04 MX$423

-53.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.32 MAD 414

$31.50 MX$532

40.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.76 MAD 316

$67.8 MX$1,146

-50.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.16 MAD 217

$28.92 MX$489

-19.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 MAD 70.3

$5.05 MX$85.4

48.71%

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

$618 MAD 5,779

$225 MX$3,803

174.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,665 MAD 53.0K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

34.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 MAD 578

$47.44 MX$802

30.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 MAD 468

$44.98 MX$760

11.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MAD 988

$82.0 MX$1,386

28.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.8 MAD 634

$92.1 MX$1,557

-26.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 MAD 5,943

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-40.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 MAD 3,580

$405 MX$6,852

-5.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 MAD 10.1K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-44.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 MAD 6,021

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-50.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,323 MAD 21.7K

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-41.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,331 MAD 12.4K

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-79.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$705 MAD 6,591

$749 MX$12.7K

-5.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

11.45

-56.24%

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

Last update for Casablanca: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $636 in Casablanca and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Casablanca vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $277 per month, with Casablanca cheaper across the board.

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

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

Casablanca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $636 in Casablanca versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Casablanca – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,045 per month in Casablanca versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,045 in Casablanca versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Casablanca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Casablanca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Casablanca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Casablanca and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Casablanca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.