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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Marabella versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,601 in Marabella versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,284 in Marabella versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Marabella costs roughly 27% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Marabella 31% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.53 TTD 71.0

$11.99 MX$210

-12.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 TTD 588

$41.78 MX$733

108.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 TTD 49.28

$10.75 MX$189

-32.00%

Cappuccino

$3.62 TTD 24.38

$3.50 MX$61.3

3.43%

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

$1.05 TTD 7.06

$1.45 MX$25.41

-27.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 TTD 5.58

$0.88 MX$15.52

-5.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 TTD 12.30

$2.95 MX$51.7

-37.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 TTD 21.19

$4.51 MX$79.1

-30.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 TTD 18.28

$1.43 MX$25.12

89.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 TTD 18.75

$1.84 MX$32.23

51.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 TTD 17.60

$1.57 MX$27.51

66.24%

Eggs

$5.16 TTD 34.80

$2.51 MX$44.06

105.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 TTD 52.3

$8.28 MX$145

-6.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.37 TTD 69.9

$8.43 MX$148

23.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 TTD 94.5

$10.68 MX$187

31.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 TTD 38.59

$2.61 MX$45.76

119.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 TTD 16.85

$1.44 MX$25.22

73.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 TTD 28.91

$1.96 MX$34.41

118.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 TTD 32.17

$2.09 MX$36.74

128.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 TTD 9.77

$1.85 MX$32.47

-21.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 TTD 11.15

$2.17 MX$38.02

-23.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 TTD 12.62

$1.03 MX$18.09

81.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TTD 9.43

$1.07 MX$18.84

30.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 TTD 39.59

$4.10 MX$72.0

43.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.46 TTD 131

$10.17 MX$178

91.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 TTD 14.13

$1.68 MX$29.38

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 TTD 18.20

$2.53 MX$44.31

6.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 TTD 6.84

$3.23 MX$56.7

-68.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 TTD 8.32

$2.41 MX$42.19

-48.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 TTD 101

$3.23 MX$56.6

364.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 TTD 7.36

$1.32 MX$23.17

-17.42%

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

$33.5K TTD 225.8K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

12.84%

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

$37.7K TTD 254.0K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

59.29%

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

$80.2 TTD 540

$82.0 MX$1,439

-2.23%

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

$46.57 TTD 314

$22.95 MX$403

102.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 TTD 419

$30.11 MX$528

106.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 TTD 65.4

$4.98 MX$87.3

94.78%

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

$326 TTD 2,199

$197 MX$3,463

65.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,349 TTD 49.5K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

37.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 TTD 406

$35.60 MX$624

69.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.34 TTD 258

$40.33 MX$707

-4.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 TTD 966

$78.8 MX$1,381

82.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 TTD 879

$88.9 MX$1,560

46.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

11.42

-52.89%

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

Last update for Marabella: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $87.0 in Marabella vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 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

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

Marabella and Playa del Carmen differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($918 vs $1,256 including rent). Marabella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Marabella and $1,884 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.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 51% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Marabella versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Marabella versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marabella but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Marabella 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 Marabella gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.