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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $765 in Mandeville versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,284 in Mandeville versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,803 in Mandeville versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mandeville costs roughly 41% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mandeville 43% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 JMD 963

$11.73 MX$203

-47.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 JMD 9,952

$41.62 MX$720

52.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 JMD 1,401

$10.64 MX$184

-15.98%

Cappuccino

$2.14 JMD 336

$3.52 MX$60.9

-39.20%

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

$0.98 JMD 153

$1.51 MX$26.12

-35.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 JMD 120

$0.97 MX$16.84

-21.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 JMD 352

$2.95 MX$51.0

-23.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 435

$4.45 MX$77.0

-37.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.23 JMD 663

$1.38 MX$23.93

206.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 JMD 326

$1.89 MX$32.72

10.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 245

$1.64 MX$28.32

-4.27%

Eggs

$3.53 JMD 554

$2.51 MX$43.34

40.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.21 JMD 1,757

$8.34 MX$144

34.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 JMD 991

$8.34 MX$144

-24.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 JMD 1,190

$10.73 MX$186

-29.17%

Apples (1kg)

$6.08 JMD 952

$2.60 MX$45.04

133.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 JMD 469

$1.46 MX$25.20

104.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 JMD 650

$1.90 MX$32.87

118.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 JMD 470

$2.08 MX$35.91

44.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 316

$1.78 MX$30.71

13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 JMD 310

$2.19 MX$37.80

-9.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 JMD 465

$1.04 MX$17.99

185.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 JMD 234

$1.08 MX$18.62

37.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.34 JMD 1,306

$4.08 MX$70.6

104.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 JMD 1,819

$10.32 MX$178

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 JMD 456

$1.71 MX$29.61

70.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 JMD 505

$2.58 MX$44.54

24.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 JMD 170

$3.26 MX$56.4

-66.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 JMD 484

$2.49 MX$43.09

24.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 JMD 959

$3.25 MX$56.2

88.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 200

$1.31 MX$22.61

-2.29%

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

$43.0K JMD 6.7M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

42.15%

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

$33.5K JMD 5.2M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

43.00%

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

$93.0 JMD 14.6K

$82.9 MX$1,433

12.27%

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

$21.59 JMD 3,383

$22.22 MX$384

-2.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 JMD 7,874

$29.34 MX$507

71.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.81 JMD 1,694

$18.32 MX$317

-40.99%

Cinema Ticket

$12.90 JMD 2,022

$5.07 MX$87.6

154.44%

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

$228 JMD 35.6K

$201 MX$3,473

13.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,457 JMD 384.9K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-52.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.55 JMD 4,160

$36.92 MX$639

-28.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.78 JMD 4,039

$39.79 MX$688

-35.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 JMD 11.1K

$78.5 MX$1,357

-9.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 JMD 12.2K

$87.1 MX$1,506

-10.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 JMD 73.6K

$973 MX$16.8K

-51.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,799 JMD 281.9K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-54.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$511 JMD 80.0K

$664 MX$11.5K

-23.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

11.42

-19.88%

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

Last update for Mandeville: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $470 in Mandeville and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 30% 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: $64.0 in Mandeville vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 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

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

Mandeville is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 30% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $470 in Mandeville versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $228 in Mandeville versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandeville – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $765 in Mandeville versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mandeville but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mandeville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Mandeville 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 Mandeville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.