Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Larache and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Larache: $755 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Larache
🇲🇦 Morocco
$755
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Larache 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 Larache and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $755 per month in Larache vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Larache $755
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,155 per month in Larache vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Larache $1,155
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,556 per month in Larache vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Larache $1,556
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Larache is about 37% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Larache and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Larache 44% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Larache
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.69 MAD 35.97
$10.86 MX$201
-66.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.68 MAD 202
$44.21 MX$817
-53.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.87 MAD 67.0
$11.76 MX$217
-41.58%
Cappuccino
$1.98 MAD 19.27
$3.68 MX$68.0
-46.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 MAD 6.24
$1.34 MX$24.79
-52.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 MAD 3.29
$0.82 MX$15.24
-58.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 MAD 25.81
$3.06 MX$56.6
-13.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 MAD 31.12
$4.94 MX$91.2
-35.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Larache
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.97 MAD 9.44
$1.47 MX$27.17
-34.01%
White Bread (500g)
$0.84 MAD 8.15
$2.22 MX$40.95
-62.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 MAD 18.01
$1.48 MX$27.32
25.00%
Eggs
$1.88 MAD 18.29
$2.49 MX$45.99
-24.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.09 MAD 108
$7.52 MX$139
47.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.51 MAD 73.2
$7.96 MX$147
-5.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.83 MAD 115
$12.57 MX$232
-5.89%
Apples (1kg)
$1.62 MAD 15.83
$2.78 MX$51.3
-41.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 MAD 15.46
$1.43 MX$26.37
11.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.84 MAD 8.18
$2.62 MX$48.37
-67.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.76 MAD 7.38
$2.14 MX$39.49
-64.49%
Potato (1kg)
$0.63 MAD 6.17
$2.02 MX$37.38
-68.81%
Onion (1kg)
$0.66 MAD 6.45
$1.99 MX$36.74
-66.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.48 MAD 4.70
$1.14 MX$21.01
-57.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 MAD 5.32
$1.20 MX$22.18
-54.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 MAD 40.96
$4.26 MX$78.7
-1.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.37 MAD 81.6
$10.02 MX$185
-16.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.37 MAD 23.14
$1.54 MX$28.41
53.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 MAD 30.65
$2.66 MX$49.17
18.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Larache
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.50 MAD 4.83
$0.53 MX$9.73
-5.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.03 MAD 205
$27.51 MX$508
-23.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.54 MAD 5.23
$4.90 MX$90.6
-88.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.32 MAD 3.12
$3.43 MX$63.5
-90.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 MAD 43.48
$5.38 MX$99.4
-17.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 MAD 14.52
$1.45 MX$26.76
2.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.2K MAD 246.0K
$21.2K MX$391.0K
19.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.5K MAD 297.6K
$23.0K MX$425.3K
32.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Larache
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.1 MAD 508
$85.4 MX$1,577
-39.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.15 MAD 99.0
$23.46 MX$434
-56.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.42 MAD 414
$28.43 MX$525
49.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Larache
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.98 MAD 205
$62.2 MX$1,149
-66.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29 MAD 208
$28.68 MX$530
-25.77%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MAD 50.1
$5.10 MX$94.3
0.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Larache
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$101 MAD 981
$201 MX$3,715
-49.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,642 MAD 55.0K
$3,947 MX$72.9K
42.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Larache
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.2 MAD 587
$44.39 MX$820
35.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.95 MAD 438
$41.35 MX$764
8.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.2 MAD 918
$72.7 MX$1,344
29.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$61.2 MAD 596
$89.6 MX$1,656
-31.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Larache
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$275 MAD 2,685
$979 MX$18.1K
-71.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$168 MAD 1,641
$373 MX$6,887
-54.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$470 MAD 4,582
$1,681 MX$31.1K
-72.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$273 MAD 2,666
$1,095 MX$20.2K
-75.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,193 MAD 11.6K
$3,949 MX$73.0K
-69.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$827 MAD 8,063
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-86.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Larache
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$274 MAD 2,674
$738 MX$13.6K
-62.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.83
11.45
-57.82%

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

Last update for Larache: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Larache
$211
Playa del Carmen
$258 22.7% $48
Accommodation & Living
Larache
$168
Playa del Carmen
$373 122% $204
Clothing & Footwear
Larache
$117
Playa del Carmen
$112 4.8% $5.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Larache
$105
Playa del Carmen
$137 31.2% $33
Eating Out
Larache
$97
Playa del Carmen
$200 106% $103
Sport & Entertainment
Larache
$31
Playa del Carmen
$72 132% $41
Getting Around
Larache
$25
Playa del Carmen
$52 106% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $275 in Larache versus $979 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 169% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $21.00 in Larache versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $258 – making Larache the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇦 Larache
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
15:20 3:20 PM
09:20 9:20 AM
6 h behind Larache
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
125,008
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Larache Playa del Carmen 7,910 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Larache
  • 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
Larache vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Larache and in Playa del Carmen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $755 in Larache, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Larache compared to Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,132 per month in Larache and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Larache and Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Larache, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Larache and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Larache or Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $755 in Larache and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 60%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Larache, where all-in costs run around $755, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Larache it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Larache and Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $755 in Larache to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Larache or Playa del Carmen safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Larache and Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Larache. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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