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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,235 per month in Maia vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,797 per month in Maia vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,359 per month in Maia vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Maia costs about 73% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Maia sits 63% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.03 €11.21

$11.71 MX$198

11.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.3 €44.10

$46.59 MX$787

10.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.46 €8.14

$11.65 MX$197

-18.80%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.79

$4.09 MX$69.2

-49.14%

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

$2.00 €1.72

$1.37 MX$23.23

45.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.34

$0.83 MX$14.09

86.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 €1.95

$3.35 MX$56.7

-32.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.42

$6.91 MX$117

-42.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.73 MX$29.19

-31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.26 MX$38.20

-23.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.77 MX$29.90

-7.91%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.57

$2.73 MX$46.18

9.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.48 €11.60

$9.18 MX$155

46.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 €7.30

$8.92 MX$151

-4.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 €13.05

$12.60 MX$213

20.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.02 MX$51.1

-24.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.57 MX$26.54

13.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.13 MX$35.92

2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.26 MX$38.27

8.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.00 MX$33.87

18.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.06 MX$34.89

10.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.88

$1.18 MX$19.94

-13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.20 MX$20.35

-2.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.63 MX$78.3

54.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.78 €4.11

$10.69 MX$181

-55.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.62 MX$27.37

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.26

$2.88 MX$48.69

-9.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 €2.26

$0.57 MX$9.69

361.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.36 €39.89

$29.83 MX$504

55.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 €4.10

$5.45 MX$92.1

-12.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.32

$3.70 MX$62.6

-58.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.46 €15.03

$5.98 MX$101

191.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.55 MX$26.25

35.48%

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

$33.5K €28.8K

$22.3K MX$377.3K

49.83%

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

$39.2K €33.8K

$25.9K MX$438.5K

51.17%

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

$109 €93.5

$89.1 MX$1,506

21.97%

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

$20.79 €17.89

$25.04 MX$423

-16.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.03 €34.44

$31.50 MX$532

27.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.93 €40.38

$67.8 MX$1,145

-30.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.35 €29.56

$28.92 MX$489

18.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.85 €7.62

$5.05 MX$85.3

75.25%

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

$456 €392

$225 MX$3,802

102.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,576 €5,659

$4,222 MX$71.4K

55.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 €102

$47.44 MX$802

149.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.22 €19.98

$44.98 MX$760

-48.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 €67.7

$82.0 MX$1,386

-3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.1

$92.1 MX$1,556

17.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 €942

$1,069 MX$18.1K

2.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 €1,195

$405 MX$6,850

242.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 €1,495

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-10.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 €1,114

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-0.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,654

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-22.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,744 €1,501

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-73.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,457 €1,254

$749 MX$12.7K

94.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

11.45

-68.21%

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

Last update for Maia: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,095 in Maia versus $1,069 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 95% higher in Maia, 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 $51.0 in Maia versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $271 in Maia vs $277 in Playa del Carmen – so Maia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Maia costs about 73% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,353 per month in Maia and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Maia and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,235 in Maia and $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Maia at $2,235. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,293 versus $2,235 in Maia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Maia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.