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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,307 in Manresa versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,058 in Manresa versus $2,336 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,808 in Manresa versus $3,341 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Manresa costs roughly 2% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manresa 5% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 €7.77

$13.02 MX$221

-30.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.79 €29.76

$46.25 MX$784

-24.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 €6.87

$12.59 MX$213

-36.22%

Cappuccino

$1.90 €1.63

$4.00 MX$67.9

-52.50%

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

$2.08 €1.78

$1.42 MX$24.08

46.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.81 MX$13.73

58.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 €1.92

$3.05 MX$51.7

-26.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.96

$6.82 MX$116

-66.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.71 MX$29.04

-32.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 €1.08

$2.22 MX$37.62

-43.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 €0.81

$1.72 MX$29.13

-45.35%

Eggs

$3.13 €2.67

$2.71 MX$45.99

15.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.59 €9.92

$9.37 MX$159

23.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.21

$8.86 MX$150

-4.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 €7.72

$12.78 MX$217

-29.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.72

$3.13 MX$53.0

-35.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.55 MX$26.24

16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.15 MX$36.51

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.13

$2.35 MX$39.89

5.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$2.02 MX$34.23

-41.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.22

$1.99 MX$33.67

-28.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.24 MX$21.09

12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 €0.29

$1.19 MX$20.21

-71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 €5.06

$4.65 MX$78.8

27.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 €5.04

$10.47 MX$177

-43.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.57

$1.58 MX$26.82

-57.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.80

$2.92 MX$49.48

-67.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.93

$0.56 MX$9.53

303.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.13 €19.79

$29.76 MX$504

-22.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.51

$5.32 MX$90.2

-22.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.23

$3.72 MX$63.0

-61.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.16 €12.97

$5.78 MX$97.9

162.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.55 MX$26.27

10.97%

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

$39.4K €33.7K

$22.4K MX$379.1K

76.31%

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

$32.5K €27.8K

$25.6K MX$433.3K

27.04%

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

$120 €102

$89.3 MX$1,513

34.07%

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

$13.60 €11.64

$23.30 MX$395

-41.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.19 €22.40

$31.72 MX$538

-17.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.39

$68.8 MX$1,165

-29.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 €13.97

$29.40 MX$498

-44.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.53 €6.44

$5.06 MX$85.7

48.81%

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

$579 €495

$222 MX$3,765

160.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €8,835

$4,293 MX$72.7K

140.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.6 €57.0

$46.21 MX$783

44.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.29 €19.07

$44.43 MX$753

-49.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €99.5

$95.5 MX$1,618

21.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 €136

$92.5 MX$1,568

71.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 €790

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-13.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 €422

$393 MX$6,663

25.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 €1,176

$1,988 MX$33.7K

-30.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 €884

$1,304 MX$22.1K

-20.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,373 €2,885

$4,037 MX$68.4K

-16.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,266 €1,938

$6,627 MX$112.3K

-65.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,002 €1,712

$747 MX$12.7K

168.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

11.6

-71.55%

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

Last update for Manresa: August 17, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $923 in Manresa and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manresa pays 168% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Manresa vs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $277 per month, with Manresa 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

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

Manresa wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manresa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 168% higher in Manresa, 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: $923 in Manresa 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 $1,307 per month in Manresa versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Manresa runs roughly 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,307 in Manresa versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manresa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Manresa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Manresa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,307 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manresa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manresa 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 Manresa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.