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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $424 in Mardan versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $638 in Mardan versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $851 in Mardan versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mardan costs roughly 66% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mardan 68% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 PKR 571

$11.72 MX$203

-82.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.31 PKR 3,970

$41.89 MX$725

-65.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 PKR 1,487

$10.51 MX$182

-49.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 PKR 1,110

Cappuccino

$2.00 PKR 556

$3.59 MX$62.0

-44.29%

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

$0.31 PKR 87.1

$1.51 MX$26.10

-79.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.7

$0.92 MX$15.83

-73.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 PKR 214

$1.40 MX$24.16

-45.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 PKR 171

$1.88 MX$32.60

-67.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 PKR 233

$1.56 MX$26.97

-46.15%

Eggs

$1.19 PKR 331

$2.61 MX$45.14

-54.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.33 PKR 1,756

$8.32 MX$144

-23.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.31 PKR 641

$8.35 MX$145

-72.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.26 PKR 904

$10.86 MX$188

-69.98%

Apples (1kg)

$0.69 PKR 191

$2.71 MX$46.93

-74.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$1.51 MX$26.04

-63.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 PKR 268

$1.87 MX$32.41

-48.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 92.6

$2.19 MX$37.89

-84.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 PKR 66.6

$1.86 MX$32.14

-87.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 PKR 102

$2.23 MX$38.59

-83.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 PKR 91.8

$1.07 MX$18.48

-69.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.13 PKR 35.05

$1.09 MX$18.79

-88.07%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.43 PKR 396

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PKR 243

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 PKR 543

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.43 PKR 398

$4.19 MX$72.4

-65.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 49.54

$0.54 MX$9.37

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.89 PKR 1,911

$26.16 MX$453

-73.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.36 PKR 101

$3.08 MX$53.3

-88.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 PKR 94.9

$2.40 MX$41.61

-85.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 PKR 502

$3.13 MX$54.1

-42.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 PKR 248

$1.31 MX$22.69

-32.06%

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

$21.3K PKR 5.9M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-28.67%

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

$26.3K PKR 7.3M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

12.88%

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

$112 PKR 31.1K

$81.3 MX$1,406

38.00%

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

$5.55 PKR 1,540

$22.56 MX$390

-75.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.45 PKR 5,120

$30.05 MX$520

-38.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.30 PKR 3,414

$52.9 MX$915

-76.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.99 PKR 1,664

$18.39 MX$318

-67.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PKR 1,181

$4.92 MX$85.1

-13.41%

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

$17.48 PKR 4,851

$201 MX$3,474

-91.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,112 PKR 308.7K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-78.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.33 PKR 5,920

$35.92 MX$622

-40.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.63 PKR 7,669

$40.13 MX$694

-31.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 PKR 24.8K

$79.7 MX$1,379

11.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.39 PKR 4,827

$86.5 MX$1,496

-79.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$75.5 PKR 21.0K

$978 MX$16.9K

-92.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$51.8 PKR 14.4K

$470 MX$8,140

-88.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 PKR 46.3K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-89.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$105 PKR 29.1K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-91.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 PKR 240.6K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-78.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$511 PKR 141.9K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-92.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.2

11.42

76.88%

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

Last update for Mardan: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $75.5 in Mardan and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Mardan vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $79.0 vs $252 per month, with Mardan 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

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

Mardan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 197% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $636 in Mardan and $1,890 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: $75.5 in Mardan versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $17.48 in Mardan versus $201 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 219% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $424 in Mardan versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 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.

For families, Mardan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 197% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.