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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,645 in Makarska versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,536 in Makarska versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,427 in Makarska versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Makarska is roughly 30% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Makarska is 20% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.82 €15.51

$11.60 MX$200

53.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €69.1

$47.11 MX$811

68.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.15 €7.09

$11.88 MX$205

-31.40%

Cappuccino

$3.45 €3.00

$3.98 MX$68.5

-13.32%

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

$4.19 €3.65

$1.43 MX$24.57

193.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 €2.69

$0.82 MX$14.20

276.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 €5.05

$3.19 MX$54.9

82.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €4.00

$6.79 MX$117

-32.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.01

$1.68 MX$28.85

-30.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$2.20 MX$37.83

-19.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 €2.83

$1.71 MX$29.41

90.64%

Eggs

$4.99 €4.34

$2.74 MX$47.20

82.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.95 €13.88

$9.58 MX$165

66.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.18 €8.86

$9.01 MX$155

12.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.38 €10.77

$12.81 MX$221

-3.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.89 MX$49.74

-32.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.50 MX$25.78

4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 €1.89

$2.15 MX$36.98

0.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.39

$2.26 MX$38.91

21.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.98 MX$34.10

18.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.99 MX$34.26

7.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.37

$1.23 MX$21.25

28.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.20 MX$20.60

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.95

$4.55 MX$78.3

25.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 €6.83

$10.37 MX$179

-24.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.27

$1.62 MX$27.88

-9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.33

$2.88 MX$49.60

-47.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.45

$0.60 MX$10.34

176.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.07 €37.48

$28.80 MX$496

49.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 €3.32

$5.39 MX$92.8

-29.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 €1.15

$3.73 MX$64.2

-64.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.02 €16.55

$5.77 MX$99.3

229.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.46

$1.54 MX$26.45

9.09%

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

$27.0K €23.5K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

19.79%

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

$26.1K €22.7K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

0.22%

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

$185 €161

$91.4 MX$1,573

102.00%

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

$28.09 €24.45

$25.20 MX$434

11.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.40 €38.64

$31.24 MX$538

42.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.78 €43.33

$67.2 MX$1,157

-25.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 €14.83

$29.11 MX$501

-41.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.99

$4.86 MX$83.7

88.89%

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

$432 €376

$224 MX$3,851

93.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,074 €6,156

$4,229 MX$72.8K

67.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$47.10 MX$811

96.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.85 €40.78

$44.29 MX$763

5.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.7

$80.1 MX$1,379

34.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 €70.6

$92.7 MX$1,596

-12.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 €602

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-34.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 €472

$390 MX$6,719

39.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 €1,075

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-42.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 €741

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-33.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,535 €3,947

$4,001 MX$68.9K

13.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 €2,870

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-49.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

11.45

-67.51%

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

Last update for Makarska: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $692 in Makarska and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Makarska vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $276 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,468 in Makarska and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $692 in Makarska versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Makarska versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Makarska. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,645 in Makarska, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Makarska. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Makarska, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Makarska 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 30% less than in Makarska. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.