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: $1,017 in Casablanca versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,578 in Casablanca versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,139 in Casablanca versus $3,017 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

$5.41 MAD 50.7

$11.99 MX$209

-54.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 MAD 312

$41.78 MX$728

-20.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 MAD 76.5

$10.75 MX$187

-23.91%

Cappuccino

$2.32 MAD 21.69

$3.50 MX$60.9

-33.71%

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

$0.70 MAD 6.54

$1.45 MX$25.22

-51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 MAD 4.66

$0.88 MX$15.41

-43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 MAD 35.21

$2.95 MX$51.3

27.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MAD 42.29

$4.51 MX$78.6

0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 MAD 8.54

$1.43 MX$24.94

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 MAD 7.16

$1.84 MX$31.99

-58.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 MAD 19.00

$1.57 MX$27.31

29.30%

Eggs

$1.91 MAD 17.84

$2.51 MX$43.74

-23.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 MAD 104

$8.28 MX$144

34.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 MAD 69.5

$8.43 MX$147

-11.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.85 MAD 111

$10.68 MX$186

10.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 MAD 17.87

$2.61 MX$45.43

-26.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MAD 14.10

$1.44 MX$25.04

4.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 MAD 8.14

$1.96 MX$34.16

-55.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 MAD 7.67

$2.09 MX$36.47

-60.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 6.70

$1.85 MX$32.24

-61.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 MAD 7.54

$2.17 MX$37.74

-62.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 MAD 4.22

$1.03 MX$17.96

-56.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.50

$1.07 MX$18.70

-44.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 MAD 41.60

$4.10 MX$71.4

8.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 MAD 75.5

$10.17 MX$177

-20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 MAD 27.00

$1.68 MX$29.17

72.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MAD 26.23

$2.53 MX$43.98

10.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MAD 6.90

$0.51 MX$8.87

45.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 MAD 238

$26.04 MX$453

-2.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 MAD 8.48

$3.23 MX$56.3

-71.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 MAD 7.19

$2.41 MX$41.88

-68.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.21 MAD 48.75

$3.23 MX$56.2

61.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MAD 14.20

$1.32 MX$23.00

15.15%

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

$37.5K MAD 350.9K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

26.27%

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

$28.8K MAD 269.7K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

21.82%

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

$49.48 MAD 463

$82.0 MX$1,428

-39.67%

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

$11.91 MAD 111

$22.95 MX$400

-48.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.90 MAD 401

$30.11 MX$524

42.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 MAD 278

$52.0 MX$905

-42.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 MAD 380

$18.53 MX$323

119.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.85 MAD 82.8

$4.98 MX$86.6

77.71%

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

$209 MAD 1,954

$197 MX$3,438

5.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,325 MAD 49.8K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

-0.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 MAD 615

$35.60 MX$620

84.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 MAD 503

$40.33 MX$702

33.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MAD 1,043

$78.8 MX$1,371

41.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.6 MAD 857

$88.9 MX$1,549

2.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 MAD 5,483

$947 MX$16.5K

-38.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 MAD 3,186

$474 MX$8,254

-28.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 MAD 10.5K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-31.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 MAD 5,441

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-51.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,263 MAD 21.2K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-44.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 MAD 11.9K

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-80.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$610 MAD 5,709

$654 MX$11.4K

-6.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.29

11.42

-53.68%

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

Last update for Casablanca: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $586 in Casablanca and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 7% 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: $33.00 in Casablanca vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $249 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% 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: $586 in Casablanca versus $947 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 $33.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Casablanca versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Casablanca versus $1,256 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 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.