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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,279 in Mandeville versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,794 in Mandeville versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mandeville costs roughly 39% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mandeville 43% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.17 JMD 974

$11.99 MX$209

-48.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.0 JMD 9,933

$41.78 MX$728

50.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.63 JMD 1,362

$10.75 MX$187

-19.72%

Cappuccino

$2.16 JMD 341

$3.50 MX$60.9

-38.29%

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

$0.99 JMD 156

$1.45 MX$25.22

-31.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 JMD 113

$0.88 MX$15.41

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 JMD 348

$2.95 MX$51.3

-25.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 JMD 441

$4.51 MX$78.6

-38.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.30 JMD 678

$1.43 MX$24.94

200.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 JMD 339

$1.84 MX$31.99

16.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 255

$1.57 MX$27.31

2.55%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 547

$2.51 MX$43.74

38.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.22 JMD 1,771

$8.28 MX$144

35.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 JMD 1,020

$8.43 MX$147

-23.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.83 JMD 1,235

$10.68 MX$186

-26.69%

Apples (1kg)

$6.00 JMD 947

$2.61 MX$45.43

129.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 JMD 490

$1.44 MX$25.04

115.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 JMD 654

$1.96 MX$34.16

111.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 JMD 458

$2.09 MX$36.47

38.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 JMD 329

$1.85 MX$32.24

12.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 JMD 320

$2.17 MX$37.74

-6.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 JMD 472

$1.03 MX$17.96

190.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 JMD 234

$1.07 MX$18.70

39.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.26 JMD 1,303

$4.10 MX$71.4

101.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 JMD 1,765

$10.17 MX$177

9.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 JMD 436

$1.68 MX$29.17

64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 JMD 488

$2.53 MX$43.98

22.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 177

$3.23 MX$56.3

-65.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 506

$2.41 MX$41.88

33.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 JMD 963

$3.23 MX$56.2

88.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 JMD 195

$1.32 MX$23.00

-6.82%

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

$42.6K JMD 6.7M

$29.7K MX$517.1K

43.50%

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

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

$23.7K MX$412.0K

42.67%

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

$92.9 JMD 14.7K

$82.0 MX$1,428

13.22%

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

$22.15 JMD 3,495

$22.95 MX$400

-3.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 JMD 7,943

$30.11 MX$524

67.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.77 JMD 1,700

$18.53 MX$323

-41.88%

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 JMD 2,085

$4.98 MX$86.6

165.26%

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

$226 JMD 35.7K

$197 MX$3,438

14.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,532 JMD 399.5K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

-52.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.32 JMD 4,153

$35.60 MX$620

-26.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.02 JMD 4,105

$40.33 MX$702

-35.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 JMD 11.3K

$78.8 MX$1,371

-9.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 JMD 12.1K

$88.9 MX$1,549

-14.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 JMD 73.0K

$947 MX$16.5K

-51.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,768 JMD 279.0K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-56.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$497 JMD 78.4K

$654 MX$11.4K

-23.97%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $463 in Mandeville and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen 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: $63.0 in Mandeville vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 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 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $463 in Mandeville versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Mandeville versus $197 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 $63.0 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 $1,256 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 64% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.