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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,264 in Mansfield versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,279 in Mansfield versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,293 in Mansfield versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mansfield is roughly 80% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mansfield is 69% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.34 A$22.88

$11.67 MX$202

40.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 A$107

$41.88 MX$726

82.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 A$14.00

$10.40 MX$180

-3.85%

Cappuccino

$3.38 A$4.73

$3.61 MX$62.6

-6.37%

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

$2.55 A$3.57

$1.47 MX$25.45

73.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$2.99

$0.91 MX$15.80

134.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 A$8.99

$3.03 MX$52.6

111.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 A$9.88

$4.47 MX$77.4

57.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.02

$1.38 MX$23.83

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 A$3.23

$1.84 MX$31.93

25.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.75

$1.61 MX$27.82

22.36%

Eggs

$4.24 A$5.94

$2.57 MX$44.52

64.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 A$11.95

$8.49 MX$147

0.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 A$12.03

$8.49 MX$147

1.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.40 A$18.77

$10.99 MX$190

21.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.65

$2.73 MX$47.25

21.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.87

$1.50 MX$25.92

84.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.18

$1.96 MX$33.93

52.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.80

$2.12 MX$36.70

95.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.52

$1.86 MX$32.30

35.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.07

$2.17 MX$37.67

0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 A$2.91

$1.07 MX$18.59

94.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 A$2.23

$1.05 MX$18.18

51.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.32 A$43.85

$4.19 MX$72.6

647.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.12 A$19.77

$10.28 MX$178

37.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.45 A$6.23

$1.67 MX$28.87

166.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.38

$2.49 MX$43.12

111.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 A$3.72

$0.54 MX$9.37

392.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.0 A$92.4

$26.27 MX$455

151.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.88

$3.10 MX$53.8

12.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.26

$2.46 MX$42.66

-34.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.64 A$47.09

$3.24 MX$56.1

938.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.26 MX$21.83

-5.56%

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

$28.8K A$40.3K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

-4.53%

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

$22.6K A$31.6K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

-3.71%

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

$186 A$260

$84.0 MX$1,456

120.93%

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

$27.47 A$38.46

$22.21 MX$385

23.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 A$74.4

$29.65 MX$514

79.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.34 A$69.1

$52.6 MX$912

-6.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 A$22.24

$18.34 MX$318

-13.36%

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 A$18.05

$4.95 MX$85.7

160.40%

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

$1,642 A$2,299

$198 MX$3,438

727.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$16.8K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

125.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 A$96.7

$35.95 MX$623

92.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$71.6

$40.06 MX$694

27.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$140

$78.8 MX$1,365

26.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$149

$86.5 MX$1,499

23.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 A$1,794

$977 MX$16.9K

31.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 A$1,482

$471 MX$8,158

124.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 A$2,861

$1,595 MX$27.6K

28.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 A$2,386

$1,215 MX$21.1K

40.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,357 A$8,900

$4,032 MX$69.9K

57.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,551 A$6,371

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-30.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.42

-44.48%

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

Last update for Mansfield: April 22, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,282 in Mansfield and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77 in Mansfield vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $252 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

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

Mansfield and Playa del Carmen differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,264 vs $1,261 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,396 in Mansfield and $1,891 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,282 in Mansfield versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 151% less than in Mansfield. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,642 in Mansfield versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,264 in Mansfield, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mansfield. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mansfield 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 80% less than in Mansfield. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.