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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $836 in Macaé versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,343 in Macaé versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,851 in Macaé versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Macaé costs roughly 36% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Macaé 38% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.64 R$28.57

$11.73 MX$203

-51.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.48 R$175

$41.62 MX$719

-17.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 R$32.52

$10.64 MX$184

-39.66%

Cappuccino

$1.89 R$9.55

$3.52 MX$60.8

-46.31%

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

$1.22 R$6.19

$1.51 MX$26.09

-19.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.27

$0.97 MX$16.82

-13.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 R$9.20

$2.95 MX$51.0

-38.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 R$10.76

$4.45 MX$77.0

-52.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.33

$1.38 MX$23.90

-23.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 R$8.31

$1.89 MX$32.69

-13.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.64 MX$28.29

-21.34%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.17

$2.51 MX$43.30

-19.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 R$39.22

$8.34 MX$144

-7.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 R$18.48

$8.34 MX$144

-56.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.31 R$31.97

$10.73 MX$185

-41.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.30

$2.60 MX$45.00

-6.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.46 MX$25.18

-15.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.84

$1.90 MX$32.84

-39.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.01

$2.08 MX$35.88

-33.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.61

$1.78 MX$30.68

-37.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.63

$2.19 MX$37.76

-49.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.46

$1.04 MX$17.97

-34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 R$2.34

$1.08 MX$18.60

-57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 R$10.08

$4.08 MX$70.5

-51.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 R$30.56

$10.32 MX$178

-41.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.34

$1.71 MX$29.59

-49.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 R$5.84

$2.58 MX$44.50

-55.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 R$3.51

$0.51 MX$8.81

35.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 R$378

$26.46 MX$457

182.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.64

$3.26 MX$56.4

-65.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.51

$2.49 MX$43.05

-72.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 R$39.34

$3.25 MX$56.1

139.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.40

$1.31 MX$22.59

-18.32%

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

$18.4K R$93.0K

$30.3K MX$523.2K

-39.36%

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

$27.6K R$139.8K

$23.4K MX$404.9K

17.82%

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

$59.7 R$302

$82.9 MX$1,432

-27.97%

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

$9.69 R$49.05

$22.22 MX$384

-56.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 R$94.8

$29.34 MX$507

-36.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 R$197

$51.6 MX$892

-24.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.30 R$138

$18.32 MX$317

49.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 R$31.69

$5.07 MX$87.5

23.47%

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

$535 R$2,710

$201 MX$3,470

166.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,559 R$33.2K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

25.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.28 R$229

$36.92 MX$638

22.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.29 R$148

$39.79 MX$688

-26.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 R$365

$78.5 MX$1,356

-8.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.8 R$308

$87.1 MX$1,505

-30.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 R$1,789

$973 MX$16.8K

-63.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 R$1,163

$468 MX$8,082

-50.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 R$3,343

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-59.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 R$2,541

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-58.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,243 R$6,293

$3,946 MX$68.2K

-68.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$784 R$3,972

$6,498 MX$112.3K

-87.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$780 R$3,948

$664 MX$11.5K

17.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

11.42

-1.49%

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

Last update for Macaé: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $353 in Macaé and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Macaé vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $249 per month, with Macaé 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

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

Macaé and Playa del Carmen differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($836 vs $1,297 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Macaé pays 17% 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: $353 in Macaé versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macaé – a meal for two runs $34.00 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 $836 per month in Macaé versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $836 in Macaé versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé 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.

Expats usually find Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.