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: $1,524 in Male versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,378 in Male versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,232 in Male versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Male is roughly 18% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Male is 14% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.51 MVR 85.0

$11.73 MX$203

-53.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.17 MVR 450

$41.62 MX$720

-29.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 MVR 152

$10.64 MX$184

-7.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 MVR 68.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MVR 56.0

Cappuccino

$2.86 MVR 44.15

$3.52 MX$60.9

-18.75%

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

$1.28 MVR 19.76

$1.51 MX$26.12

-15.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 MVR 3.83

$0.97 MX$16.84

-74.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MVR 27.55

$1.38 MX$23.93

29.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 MVR 23.96

$1.89 MX$32.72

-17.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 MVR 20.89

$1.64 MX$28.32

-17.68%

Eggs

$1.80 MVR 27.76

$2.51 MX$43.34

-28.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 MVR 128

$8.34 MX$144

-0.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 MVR 97.1

$8.34 MX$144

-24.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 MVR 141

$10.73 MX$186

-15.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 MVR 63.8

$2.60 MX$45.04

59.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.78 MVR 58.3

$1.46 MX$25.20

158.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 MVR 66.8

$1.90 MX$32.87

127.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 MVR 49.24

$2.08 MX$35.91

53.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 MVR 22.98

$1.78 MX$30.71

-16.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 MVR 18.91

$2.19 MX$37.80

-43.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 MVR 47.22

$1.04 MX$17.99

194.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MVR 7.83

$1.08 MX$18.62

-52.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.30 MVR 190

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 MVR 41.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.51 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.33 MVR 128

$4.08 MX$70.6

104.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.18

$0.51 MX$8.81

29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.81 MVR 444

$26.46 MX$458

8.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 MVR 29.87

$3.26 MX$56.4

-40.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 MVR 29.43

$2.49 MX$43.09

-23.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 MVR 154

$3.25 MX$56.2

206.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 MVR 14.17

$1.31 MX$22.61

-29.77%

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

$32.2K MVR 497.2K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

6.49%

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

$34.6K MVR 534.0K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

47.81%

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

$105 MVR 1,613

$82.9 MX$1,433

26.20%

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

$41.62 MVR 642

$22.22 MX$384

87.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.6 MVR 1,182

$29.34 MX$507

161.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 MVR 1,242

$51.6 MX$893

56.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.50 MVR 671

$18.32 MX$317

137.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 MVR 151

$5.07 MX$87.6

93.49%

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

$163 MVR 2,521

$201 MX$3,473

-18.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,626 MVR 55.9K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-30.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.36 MVR 700

$36.92 MX$639

22.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 MVR 860

$39.79 MX$688

40.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 MVR 1,383

$78.5 MX$1,357

14.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.4 MVR 839

$87.1 MX$1,506

-37.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MVR 15.0K

$973 MX$16.8K

-0.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 MVR 10.8K

$468 MX$8,090

49.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,701 MVR 26.2K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 MVR 22.0K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

16.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,300 MVR 35.5K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-41.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 MVR 29.4K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-70.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 MVR 13.2K

$664 MX$11.5K

29.10%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Male and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 29% 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 $232 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. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Male pays 29% 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: $970 in Male versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,524 per month in Male versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 18% 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 9% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,524 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 18% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.