Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Machala and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $656 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Machala
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Machala Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$656

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $656 in Machala versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Machala $656
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,046 in Machala versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Machala $1,046
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,435 in Machala versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Machala $1,435
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Machala costs roughly 46% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Machala 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 $2.81

$10.92 MX$203

-74.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.28 $25.28

$43.37 MX$805

-41.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 $5.21

$11.78 MX$219

-55.77%

Cappuccino

$2.68 $2.68

$3.81 MX$70.7

-29.66%

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

$0.86 $0.86

$1.28 MX$23.81

-32.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.78 MX$14.54

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.17 MX$58.8

-35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.93 MX$91.7

-25.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.41 MX$26.12

-26.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.22 MX$41.17

-52.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.42 MX$26.32

-35.92%

Eggs

$1.49 $1.49

$2.52 MX$46.85

-40.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$7.26 MX$135

-55.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$7.70 MX$143

-45.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$12.69 MX$236

-62.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.78 MX$51.7

-47.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 $0.59

$1.37 MX$25.41

-56.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$2.55 MX$47.37

-69.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 $0.58

$2.12 MX$39.43

-72.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.41 $0.41

$1.94 MX$36.00

-78.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.89 MX$35.02

-74.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 $0.39

$1.15 MX$21.29

-66.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.18 MX$21.89

-16.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.30 MX$79.8

1.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.64 $7.64

$9.95 MX$185

-23.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.58 MX$29.41

-0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.67 MX$49.60

-16.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.55 MX$10.28

-38.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.09 $22.09

$26.62 MX$494

-17.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$4.97 MX$92.3

-69.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.33 MX$61.9

-48.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 $8.11

$5.36 MX$99.5

51.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 $0.61

$1.44 MX$26.82

-57.64%

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

$17.7K $17.7K

$20.7K MX$383.8K

-14.28%

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

$22.0K $22.0K

$23.5K MX$435.8K

-6.21%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$84.8 MX$1,575

-38.45%

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

$14.97 $14.97

$23.41 MX$435

-36.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.58 $26.58

$28.66 MX$532

-7.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 $42.15

$57.1 MX$1,059

-26.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.74 $29.74

$28.91 MX$537

2.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 $4.89

$5.14 MX$95.4

-4.86%

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

$133 $133

$207 MX$3,836

-35.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,675 $5,675

$3,927 MX$72.9K

44.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 $64.5

$43.35 MX$805

48.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.94 $39.94

$41.44 MX$770

-3.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 $80.9

$74.2 MX$1,378

9.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 $68.6

$89.3 MX$1,657

-23.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$190 $190

$980 MX$18.2K

-80.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 $133

$381 MX$7,072

-65.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 $353

$1,708 MX$31.7K

-79.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 $264

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-75.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$444 $444

$735 MX$13.6K

-39.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-56.33%

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

Last update for Machala: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Machala

$135 20.6%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 88.2% $119

Accommodation & Living

Machala

$133 20.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 186% $248

Clothing & Footwear

Machala

$114 17.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 2.2% $2.5

Eating Out

Machala

$94 14.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 115% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Machala

$94 14.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 46% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Machala

$52 7.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 29.6% $15

Getting Around

Machala

$34 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 50% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $190 in Machala and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 66% 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: $25 in Machala vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $135 vs $255 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Machala

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

Same time as Machala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,260

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Machala Playa del Carmen 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Machala
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

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

Machala is about 46% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Machala. 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: $190 in Machala versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Machala – a meal for two runs $25 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $656 per month in Machala versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Machala is about 46% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $656 in Machala versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machala but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Machala 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 Machala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.