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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,325 in Maldonado versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,090 in Maldonado versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,856 in Maldonado versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Maldonado is roughly 2% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maldonado 1% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.02 UYU 645

$11.73 MX$203

36.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 UYU 2,205

$41.62 MX$721

31.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 UYU 444

$10.64 MX$184

3.67%

Cappuccino

$4.15 UYU 167

$3.52 MX$61.0

17.90%

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

$2.27 UYU 91.3

$1.51 MX$26.17

50.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 UYU 70.7

$0.97 MX$16.87

80.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 UYU 96.3

$2.95 MX$51.1

-18.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 UYU 149

$4.45 MX$77.2

-17.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 UYU 45.41

$1.38 MX$23.97

-18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 UYU 115

$1.89 MX$32.78

51.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 UYU 62.3

$1.64 MX$28.37

-5.49%

Eggs

$4.63 UYU 186

$2.51 MX$43.42

84.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 UYU 553

$8.34 MX$145

64.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.77 UYU 434

$8.34 MX$145

29.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 UYU 442

$10.73 MX$186

2.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 UYU 88.2

$2.60 MX$45.12

-15.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 UYU 96.2

$1.46 MX$25.25

63.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 UYU 63.4

$1.90 MX$32.94

-17.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 UYU 142

$2.08 MX$35.98

70.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.4

$1.78 MX$30.77

-0.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 UYU 77.6

$2.19 MX$37.87

-11.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 UYU 48.24

$1.04 MX$18.02

15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 UYU 64.9

$1.08 MX$18.66

49.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.25 UYU 212

$4.08 MX$70.7

28.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.55 UYU 143

$10.32 MX$179

-65.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.8

$1.71 MX$29.67

9.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 UYU 107

$2.58 MX$44.63

2.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 UYU 53.2

$0.51 MX$8.83

158.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.20 UYU 1,780

$26.46 MX$459

67.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 UYU 60.2

$3.26 MX$56.5

-54.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 UYU 84.5

$2.49 MX$43.17

-15.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.22 UYU 452

$3.25 MX$56.3

245.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 UYU 73.0

$1.31 MX$22.65

38.17%

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

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

$30.3K MX$524.7K

13.58%

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

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

$23.4K MX$406.0K

52.67%

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

$155 UYU 6,262

$82.9 MX$1,436

87.62%

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

$16.93 UYU 682

$22.22 MX$385

-23.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.30 UYU 1,744

$29.34 MX$508

47.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.88 UYU 1,848

$51.6 MX$895

-11.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.76 UYU 1,199

$18.32 MX$317

62.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.95 UYU 320

$5.07 MX$87.8

56.80%

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

$478 UYU 19.2K

$201 MX$3,480

137.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,205 UYU 290.2K

$5,212 MX$90.3K

38.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 UYU 3,427

$36.92 MX$640

130.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.83 UYU 1,886

$39.79 MX$689

17.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 UYU 3,581

$78.5 MX$1,360

13.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 UYU 3,682

$87.1 MX$1,509

4.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 UYU 14.7K

$973 MX$16.9K

-62.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 UYU 11.5K

$468 MX$8,105

-39.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 UYU 35.8K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-45.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 UYU 24.2K

$1,221 MX$21.2K

-50.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,526 UYU 61.4K

$3,946 MX$68.4K

-61.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,299 UYU 52.3K

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-80.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 UYU 35.7K

$664 MX$11.5K

33.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

11.42

-50.26%

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

Last update for Maldonado: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Maldonado and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 33% 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: $55.0 in Maldonado vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $249 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

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

Maldonado and Playa del Carmen differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,325 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Maldonado pays 33% 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: $366 in Maldonado versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $478 in Maldonado versus $201 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 19% higher in Maldonado. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,325 in Maldonado, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Maldonado. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

Safety-wise, Maldonado 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 2% less than in Maldonado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.