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: $1,500 in Male versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,446 in Male versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,393 in Male versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Male is roughly 16% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Male is 9% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 MVR 95.0

$11.71 MX$198

-47.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.53 MVR 594

$46.59 MX$788

-17.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 MVR 153

$11.65 MX$197

-14.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 MVR 75.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 MVR 74.3

Cappuccino

$3.55 MVR 54.8

$4.09 MX$69.2

-13.20%

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

$1.59 MVR 24.57

$1.37 MX$23.23

16.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.84

$0.83 MX$14.09

-62.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 MVR 32.20

$1.73 MX$29.20

20.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 MVR 25.81

$2.26 MX$38.21

-26.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 MVR 19.35

$1.77 MX$29.91

-28.81%

Eggs

$1.87 MVR 28.82

$2.73 MX$46.19

-31.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 MVR 161

$9.18 MX$155

13.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 MVR 96.3

$8.92 MX$151

-30.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 MVR 146

$12.60 MX$213

-24.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 MVR 60.4

$3.02 MX$51.1

29.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 MVR 48.29

$1.57 MX$26.55

99.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 MVR 63.1

$2.13 MX$35.93

92.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 MVR 40.96

$2.26 MX$38.28

17.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 MVR 31.32

$2.00 MX$33.88

1.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MVR 28.66

$2.06 MX$34.90

-9.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 MVR 32.98

$1.18 MX$19.94

81.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MVR 9.63

$1.20 MX$20.35

-48.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.57 MVR 194

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MVR 30.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.85 MVR 229

$4.63 MX$78.4

220.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.22

$0.57 MX$9.69

15.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.42 MVR 469

$29.83 MX$504

1.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 MVR 29.69

$5.45 MX$92.1

-64.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 MVR 30.69

$3.70 MX$62.6

-46.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 MVR 154

$5.98 MX$101

66.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 MVR 14.89

$1.55 MX$26.26

-37.42%

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

$31.7K MVR 489.2K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

42.08%

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

$28.8K MVR 444.6K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

11.11%

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

$120 MVR 1,843

$89.1 MX$1,507

34.07%

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

$30.58 MVR 472

$25.04 MX$423

22.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.4 MVR 1,101

$31.50 MX$532

126.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.1 MVR 1,082

$67.8 MX$1,146

3.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.42 MVR 515

$28.92 MX$489

15.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.55 MVR 147

$5.05 MX$85.4

89.11%

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

$187 MVR 2,882

$225 MX$3,803

-16.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,960 MVR 45.6K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

-29.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.33 MVR 606

$47.44 MX$802

-17.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.68 MVR 751

$44.98 MX$760

8.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 MVR 1,356

$82.0 MX$1,386

7.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MVR 796

$92.1 MX$1,557

-43.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 MVR 14.7K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-10.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 MVR 10.7K

$405 MX$6,852

71.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,064 MVR 31.8K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

6.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 MVR 23.9K

$1,301 MX$22.0K

18.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,266 MVR 34.9K

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-43.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,376 MVR 21.2K

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-79.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 MVR 12.5K

$749 MX$12.7K

8.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

22.27%

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

Last update for Male: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Male and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 9% 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: $39.00 in Male vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $277 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $952 in Male versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,500 per month in Male versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 16% 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 2% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,500 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 16% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.