Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $502 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
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Mardan Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$502

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mardan and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mardan and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $502 in Mardan versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Mardan $502
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $788 in Mardan versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Mardan $788
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,074 in Mardan versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Mardan $1,074
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Mardan costs roughly 58% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mardan 63% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 PKR 978

$10.92 MX$205

-67.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.47 PKR 6,495

$43.37 MX$814

-45.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 PKR 1,504

$11.78 MX$221

-53.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 PKR 1,013

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 PKR 1,872

Cappuccino

$2.55 PKR 705

$3.81 MX$71.5

-33.07%

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

$0.34 PKR 94.7

$1.28 MX$24.07

-73.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.9

$0.78 MX$14.70

-70.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 250

$1.41 MX$26.40

-36.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$2.22 MX$41.62

-64.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.42 MX$26.61

-9.15%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 337

$2.52 MX$47.36

-51.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.93 PKR 811

$7.26 MX$136

-59.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 PKR 878

$7.70 MX$144

-58.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.72 PKR 1,029

$12.69 MX$238

-70.69%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 240

$2.78 MX$52.3

-68.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 PKR 203

$1.37 MX$25.68

-46.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 286

$2.55 MX$47.89

-59.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.5

$2.12 MX$39.86

-83.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.2

$1.94 MX$36.39

-86.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$1.89 MX$35.41

-79.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.2

$1.15 MX$21.53

-75.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.0

$1.18 MX$22.13

-70.34%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 496

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 333

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 642

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 PKR 508

$4.30 MX$80.6

-57.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.5

$0.55 MX$10.39

-63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.72 PKR 2,966

$26.62 MX$500

-59.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 PKR 352

$4.97 MX$93.3

-74.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 PKR 190

$3.33 MX$62.5

-79.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$5.36 MX$101

-70.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 PKR 292

$1.44 MX$27.11

-27.08%

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

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

$20.7K MX$388.0K

5.36%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$23.5K MX$440.5K

0.45%

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

$104 PKR 28.7K

$84.8 MX$1,592

22.18%

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

$6.02 PKR 1,666

$23.41 MX$439

-74.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.99 PKR 4,701

$28.66 MX$538

-40.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.89 PKR 3,566

$57.1 MX$1,071

-77.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.04 PKR 2,223

$28.91 MX$543

-72.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 PKR 1,353

$5.14 MX$96.5

-4.86%

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

$42.07 PKR 11.6K

$207 MX$3,878

-79.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,058 PKR 292.8K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

-73.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.98 PKR 7,188

$43.35 MX$814

-40.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 PKR 9,583

$41.44 MX$778

-16.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 PKR 26.7K

$74.2 MX$1,393

29.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.12 PKR 11.1K

$89.3 MX$1,676

-55.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$134 PKR 37.1K

$980 MX$18.4K

-86.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

$381 MX$7,150

-77.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 PKR 73.1K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-84.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.3K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-83.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$865 PKR 239.3K

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-78.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$578 PKR 159.9K

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-90.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

11.45

14.24%

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

Last update for Mardan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mardan

$127 25.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 8.1% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Mardan

$89 17.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 26% $23

Accommodation & Living

Mardan

$86 17.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 343% $295

Groceries & Markets

Mardan

$84 16.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 203% $171

Eating Out

Mardan

$77 15.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 161% $125

Sport & Entertainment

Mardan

$23 4.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 197% $45

Getting Around

Mardan

$16 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 211% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $134 in Mardan and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Mardan vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $84 vs $255 per month, with Mardan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Mardan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

11:55 11:55 AM

10 h behind Mardan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

358,604

149,923

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mardan Playa del Carmen 13,530 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mardan
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Mardan is about 58% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $753 in Mardan and $1,806 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: $134 in Mardan versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $42 in Mardan versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 203% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $502 in Mardan versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mardan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mardan 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 Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.