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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Manzanillo versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,791 in Manzanillo versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Manzanillo versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Manzanillo costs roughly 7% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manzanillo 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.60 MX$185

$11.99 MX$210

-11.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.39 MX$636

$41.78 MX$731

-12.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 MX$195

$10.75 MX$188

3.91%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MX$50.3

$3.50 MX$61.1

-17.71%

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

$1.19 MX$20.88

$1.45 MX$25.33

-17.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MX$21.42

$0.88 MX$15.47

39.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 MX$36.59

$2.95 MX$51.6

-29.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 MX$63.4

$4.51 MX$78.9

-19.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.19

$1.43 MX$25.04

-6.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$1.84 MX$32.13

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MX$22.91

$1.57 MX$27.42

-16.56%

Eggs

$1.99 MX$34.85

$2.51 MX$43.92

-20.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.72 MX$118

$8.28 MX$145

-18.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 MX$94.6

$8.43 MX$147

-35.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 MX$158

$10.68 MX$187

-15.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 MX$40.47

$2.61 MX$45.62

-11.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.38

$1.44 MX$25.15

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.68

$1.96 MX$34.31

-21.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.09

$2.09 MX$36.62

-22.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$41.05

$1.85 MX$32.37

27.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 MX$49.46

$2.17 MX$37.90

30.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 MX$35.31

$1.03 MX$18.04

96.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.88

$1.07 MX$18.78

11.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 MX$90.4

$4.10 MX$71.7

26.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.71 MX$117

$10.17 MX$178

-34.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 MX$43.81

$1.68 MX$29.29

49.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 MX$42.37

$2.53 MX$44.17

-4.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.63

$0.51 MX$8.90

19.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 MX$41.11

$3.23 MX$56.5

-27.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MX$28.04

$2.41 MX$42.06

-33.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.54 MX$149

$3.23 MX$56.5

164.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.32 MX$23.10

-3.79%

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

$20.6K MX$360.2K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

-30.63%

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

$22.8K MX$398.3K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

-3.74%

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

$123 MX$2,149

$82.0 MX$1,434

49.88%

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

$15.97 MX$279

$22.95 MX$401

-30.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.94 MX$436

$30.11 MX$527

-17.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.55 MX$517

$52.0 MX$909

-43.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 MX$278

$18.53 MX$324

-14.03%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 MX$68.1

$4.98 MX$87.0

-21.89%

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

$53.7 MX$938

$197 MX$3,452

-72.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,653 MX$63.9K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

-31.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.81 MX$853

$35.60 MX$622

37.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.39 MX$496

$40.33 MX$705

-29.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 MX$2,145

$78.8 MX$1,377

55.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 MX$2,324

$88.9 MX$1,555

49.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$689 MX$12.0K

$947 MX$16.6K

-27.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 MX$7,099

$474 MX$8,288

-14.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 MX$16.4K

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-43.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 MX$13.1K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-38.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$404 MX$7,072

$654 MX$11.4K

-38.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.07

11.42

-3.06%

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

Last update for Manzanillo: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $689 in Manzanillo and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 62% 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: $36.00 in Manzanillo vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $249 per month, with Manzanillo 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

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

Manzanillo and Playa del Carmen differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,174 vs $1,256 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 62% 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: $689 in Manzanillo versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,174 per month in Manzanillo versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,174 in Manzanillo versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manzanillo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Manzanillo 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.

Expats usually find Manzanillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.