Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Moraleja and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,701 in La Moraleja, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in La Moraleja
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La Moraleja Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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La Moraleja

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,701

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Moraleja and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in La Moraleja and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,701 in La Moraleja versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

La Moraleja $1,701
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,508 in La Moraleja versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

La Moraleja $2,508
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,314 in La Moraleja versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

La Moraleja $3,314
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in La Moraleja is roughly 41% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: La Moraleja is 26% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.12 €15.22

$10.76 MX$199

59.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.9 €60.4

$43.03 MX$795

57.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 €9.90

$11.79 MX$218

-5.60%

Cappuccino

$2.04 €1.82

$3.87 MX$71.4

-47.29%

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

$3.34 €2.97

$1.37 MX$25.29

143.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.74

$0.84 MX$15.44

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 €3.07

$3.10 MX$57.3

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.15

$5.07 MX$93.6

-7.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.44 MX$26.55

-20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 €0.91

$2.23 MX$41.23

-54.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.49

$1.47 MX$27.17

14.29%

Eggs

$3.02 €2.69

$2.53 MX$46.71

19.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.89 €15.02

$7.30 MX$135

131.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.09 €8.09

$7.86 MX$145

15.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 €15.94

$12.79 MX$236

40.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.90 MX$53.6

-13.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.44 MX$26.53

50.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.55 MX$47.07

-11.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.06 MX$38.03

23.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.00 MX$36.97

5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.01 MX$37.07

3.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.19 MX$22.02

33.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.50

$1.26 MX$23.23

-54.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 €5.51

$4.40 MX$81.4

40.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 €7.14

$9.59 MX$177

-16.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.59 MX$29.41

-32.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.81 MX$51.9

-19.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.41

$0.57 MX$10.47

178.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.63 €29.02

$27.82 MX$514

17.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 €3.37

$4.98 MX$92.1

-23.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$3.50 MX$64.6

-57.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.86 €20.33

$5.40 MX$99.8

323.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.47 MX$27.08

17.69%

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

$35.7K €31.8K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

70.30%

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

$29.1K €25.9K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

21.92%

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

$192 €171

$84.2 MX$1,556

128.01%

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

$18.02 €16.03

$23.99 MX$443

-24.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.22 €27.77

$29.02 MX$536

7.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.76 €40.70

$63.0 MX$1,164

-27.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 €13.79

$29.14 MX$539

-46.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 €8.87

$4.94 MX$91.3

102.02%

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

$183 €163

$204 MX$3,763

-10.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,997 €5,334

$3,941 MX$72.8K

52.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.8 €65.7

$43.60 MX$806

69.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 €31.71

$43.12 MX$797

-17.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 €70.2

$75.8 MX$1,400

4.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 €84.8

$88.6 MX$1,637

7.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 €803

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 €610

$374 MX$6,911

83.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 €1,177

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-22.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 €896

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-8.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,304 €2,939

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-16.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,198 €1,955

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-64.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,628 €3,227

$754 MX$13.9K

381.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.08

11.45

-73.10%

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

Last update for La Moraleja: October 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

La Moraleja

$686 40.4%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 45.5% $312

Groceries & Markets

La Moraleja

$287 16.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 10.1% $29

Eating Out

La Moraleja

$243 14.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 16.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Moraleja

$241 14.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 43.1% $104

Clothing & Footwear

La Moraleja

$128 7.5%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 11.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

La Moraleja

$66 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 10.9% $7.2

Getting Around

La Moraleja

$50 3%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 4.8% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in La Moraleja and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Moraleja pays 381% 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: $68.0 in La Moraleja vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 La Moraleja

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

7 h behind La Moraleja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

69,176

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

La Moraleja Playa del Carmen 8,000 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

La Moraleja
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 41% in total monthly costs ($1,701 vs $1,210 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 381% higher in La Moraleja, 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: $903 in La Moraleja versus $1,008 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 $43.00 versus $68.0 in La Moraleja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,701 per month in La Moraleja versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,701 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 41% less than in La Moraleja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.