Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marrakech and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Marrakech: $889 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Marrakech
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Marrakech Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Marrakech

🇲🇦 Morocco

$889

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marrakech 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 Marrakech and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $889 per month in Marrakech vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Marrakech $889
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,327 per month in Marrakech vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Marrakech $1,327
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,765 per month in Marrakech vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Marrakech $1,765
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Marrakech is about 27% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Marrakech and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Marrakech 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 MAD 35.10

$10.76 MX$199

-66.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.92 MAD 301

$43.03 MX$795

-28.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 MAD 58.8

$11.79 MX$218

-48.85%

Cappuccino

$2.29 MAD 22.32

$3.87 MX$71.4

-40.83%

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

$1.96 MAD 19.11

$1.37 MX$25.29

43.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 MAD 6.45

$0.84 MX$15.44

-21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 MAD 66.3

$3.10 MX$57.3

119.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 MAD 52.1

$5.07 MX$93.6

5.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 MAD 8.06

$1.44 MX$26.55

-42.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 MAD 7.90

$2.23 MX$41.23

-63.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MAD 15.29

$1.47 MX$27.17

6.80%

Eggs

$2.00 MAD 19.48

$2.53 MX$46.71

-20.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 MAD 76.8

$7.30 MX$135

7.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 MAD 52.9

$7.86 MX$145

-31.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MAD 112

$12.79 MX$236

-10.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 MAD 15.86

$2.90 MX$53.6

-43.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MAD 13.87

$1.44 MX$26.53

-1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 MAD 8.83

$2.55 MX$47.07

-64.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.75

$2.06 MX$38.03

-61.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 6.99

$2.00 MX$36.97

-64.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MAD 7.57

$2.01 MX$37.07

-61.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 MAD 2.24

$1.19 MX$22.02

-80.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MAD 5.51

$1.26 MX$23.23

-55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MAD 39.97

$4.40 MX$81.4

-6.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 MAD 77.1

$9.59 MX$177

-17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 MAD 22.12

$1.59 MX$29.41

42.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MAD 32.69

$2.81 MX$51.9

19.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MAD 3.83

$0.57 MX$10.47

-31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.21 MAD 256

$27.82 MX$514

-5.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 MAD 8.47

$4.98 MX$92.1

-82.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MAD 6.24

$3.50 MX$64.6

-81.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.31 MAD 71.2

$5.40 MX$99.8

35.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MAD 14.48

$1.47 MX$27.08

1.36%

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

$33.9K MAD 331.0K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

61.76%

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

$30.2K MAD 294.4K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

26.30%

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

$35.87 MAD 350

$84.2 MX$1,556

-57.40%

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

$8.89 MAD 86.6

$23.99 MX$443

-62.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.31 MAD 364

$29.02 MX$536

28.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.67 MAD 280

$63.0 MX$1,164

-54.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.14 MAD 206

$29.14 MX$539

-27.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MAD 61.5

$4.94 MX$91.3

27.53%

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

$101 MAD 985

$204 MX$3,763

-50.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,211 MAD 80.1K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

108.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.02 MAD 312

$43.60 MX$806

-26.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.81 MAD 437

$43.12 MX$797

3.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 MAD 813

$75.8 MX$1,400

10.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 MAD 794

$88.6 MX$1,637

-8.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 MAD 4,769

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-51.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 MAD 3,027

$374 MX$6,911

-16.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 MAD 7,154

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-57.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 MAD 4,339

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-59.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,930 MAD 18.8K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-51.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$938 MAD 9,145

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-84.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$491 MAD 4,791

$754 MX$13.9K

-34.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.45

-60.70%

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

Last update for Marrakech: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Marrakech

$310 34.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 20.5% $64

Groceries & Markets

Marrakech

$185 20.8%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 39.4% $73

Eating Out

Marrakech

$130 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 56.1% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Marrakech

$109 12.2%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 3.9% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marrakech

$82 9.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 67.2% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Marrakech

$41 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 76.5% $32

Getting Around

Marrakech

$32 3.6%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 65.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in Marrakech versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 53% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Marrakech versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $258 – making Marrakech the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Marrakech

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

06:28 6:28 AM

6 h behind Marrakech

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,002,697

149,923

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Marrakech Playa del Carmen 7,830 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Marrakech
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,334 per month in Marrakech and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marrakech, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $101 per month in Marrakech and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Marrakech, where all-in costs run around $889, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Marrakech it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Marrakech – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Marrakech. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.