Cost of Living Comparison Between La Moraleja and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between La Moraleja and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,695 in La Moraleja versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,533 in La Moraleja versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,371 in La Moraleja versus $3,084 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in La Moraleja is roughly 31% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: La Moraleja is 27% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.02

$11.73 MX$202

48.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 €59.4

$41.78 MX$719

65.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.94

$10.41 MX$179

-0.29%

Cappuccino

$2.47 €2.13

$3.61 MX$62.1

-31.58%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$1.46 MX$25.06

119.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.97 MX$16.70

118.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 €3.02

$2.92 MX$50.3

19.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 €4.01

$4.62 MX$79.5

0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.43 MX$24.59

-19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.90 MX$32.70

-44.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.57 MX$26.95

14.01%

Eggs

$2.75 €2.36

$2.64 MX$45.34

4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 €12.90

$8.44 MX$145

77.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.90 €7.66

$8.58 MX$148

3.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.91 €14.56

$11.00 MX$189

53.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.70 MX$46.51

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.51 MX$25.92

46.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.91 MX$32.93

2.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 €2.40

$2.17 MX$37.37

28.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.87 MX$32.25

0.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.23 MX$38.43

-8.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.08 MX$18.60

30.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.53

$1.07 MX$18.47

-42.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 €5.80

$4.16 MX$71.6

61.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.29 MX$177

-23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.68 MX$28.95

-25.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.53 MX$43.59

-11.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.55 MX$9.53

198.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.69 €29.01

$26.29 MX$452

28.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 €3.58

$3.20 MX$55.0

30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 €1.15

$2.46 MX$42.37

-45.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.40 €25.32

$3.20 MX$55.0

818.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.32 MX$22.72

35.61%

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

$37.0K €31.8K

$30.2K MX$518.8K

22.61%

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

$34.1K €29.4K

$23.4K MX$402.5K

45.79%

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

$195 €168

$81.4 MX$1,400

139.90%

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

$21.74 €18.72

$22.41 MX$386

-2.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 €30.71

$29.97 MX$516

19.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.89 €40.38

$51.6 MX$887

-9.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.16 €13.05

$18.39 MX$316

-17.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 €9.74

$5.16 MX$88.9

119.19%

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

$263 €227

$202 MX$3,471

30.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,072 €1,784

$5,311 MX$91.4K

-60.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 €75.6

$35.61 MX$613

146.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.06 €32.77

$40.37 MX$695

-5.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 €79.5

$78.6 MX$1,353

17.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.4 €75.2

$86.9 MX$1,495

0.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 €742

$950 MX$16.3K

-9.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €604

$478 MX$8,227

46.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 €1,159

$1,621 MX$27.9K

-16.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 €866

$1,223 MX$21.0K

-17.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,706 €3,191

$4,009 MX$69.0K

-7.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,544 €2,190

$6,473 MX$111.4K

-60.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,823 €3,292

$673 MX$11.6K

468.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

11.42

-69.96%

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

Last update for La Moraleja: June 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $861 in La Moraleja and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Moraleja pays 468% 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: $69.0 in La Moraleja vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $254 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

La Moraleja and Playa del Carmen differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,695 vs $1,294 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

La Moraleja pays 468% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $861 in La Moraleja versus $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $69.0 in La Moraleja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,695 per month in La Moraleja versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,695 in La Moraleja, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in La Moraleja. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, La Moraleja 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in La Moraleja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.