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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,501 in Male versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,377 in Male versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Male versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Male is roughly 20% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Male is 12% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.37 MVR 82.8

$11.99 MX$209

-55.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.25 MVR 451

$41.78 MX$728

-29.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 MVR 147

$10.75 MX$187

-11.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 MVR 71.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MVR 56.3

Cappuccino

$2.96 MVR 45.72

$3.50 MX$60.9

-15.43%

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

$1.34 MVR 20.62

$1.45 MX$25.22

-7.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.20

$0.88 MX$15.41

-69.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MVR 28.72

$1.43 MX$24.94

30.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 MVR 24.95

$1.84 MX$31.99

-11.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MVR 20.23

$1.57 MX$27.31

-16.56%

Eggs

$1.80 MVR 27.71

$2.51 MX$43.74

-28.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 MVR 127

$8.28 MX$144

-0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 MVR 97.8

$8.43 MX$147

-24.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 MVR 139

$10.68 MX$186

-15.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 MVR 61.7

$2.61 MX$45.43

53.26%

Banana (1kg)

$3.76 MVR 58.0

$1.44 MX$25.04

161.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 MVR 65.4

$1.96 MX$34.16

116.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 MVR 50.4

$2.09 MX$36.47

56.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MVR 23.89

$1.85 MX$32.24

-16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 MVR 18.73

$2.17 MX$37.74

-44.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 MVR 47.69

$1.03 MX$17.96

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MVR 8.18

$1.07 MX$18.70

-50.47%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.46 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 MVR 126

$4.10 MX$71.4

98.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MVR 9.57

$0.51 MX$8.87

21.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 MVR 451

$26.04 MX$453

12.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 MVR 29.91

$3.23 MX$56.3

-39.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MVR 29.80

$2.41 MX$41.88

-19.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.79 MVR 151

$3.23 MX$56.2

203.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MVR 14.77

$1.32 MX$23.00

-27.27%

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

$31.9K MVR 492.0K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

7.44%

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

$34.7K MVR 535.8K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

46.84%

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

$105 MVR 1,612

$82.0 MX$1,428

27.46%

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

$41.36 MVR 638

$22.95 MX$400

80.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 MVR 1,168

$30.11 MX$524

151.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.9 MVR 1,263

$52.0 MX$905

57.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.07 MVR 679

$18.53 MX$323

137.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 MVR 146

$4.98 MX$86.6

90.36%

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

$164 MVR 2,524

$197 MX$3,438

-17.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,553 MVR 54.8K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

-33.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.31 MVR 699

$35.60 MX$620

27.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MVR 864

$40.33 MX$702

38.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MVR 1,407

$78.8 MX$1,371

15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 MVR 823

$88.9 MX$1,549

-40.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 MVR 15.0K

$947 MX$16.5K

2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 MVR 10.8K

$474 MX$8,254

47.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 MVR 25.7K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

1.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 MVR 22.2K

$1,211 MX$21.1K

19.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,263 MVR 34.9K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-44.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,886 MVR 29.1K

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-70.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 MVR 13.4K

$654 MX$11.4K

32.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

11.42

8.58%

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

Last update for Male: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Male and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 32% 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: $29.00 in Male vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $249 per month, with Male 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Male, 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: $972 in Male versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,501 per month in Male versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 12% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,501 in Male, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Male. 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 Male, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Male 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 20% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.