Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marsascala and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,740 in Marsascala, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Marsascala
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Marsascala Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Marsascala

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,740

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,740 per month in Marsascala vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Marsascala $1,740
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,641 per month in Marsascala vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Marsascala $2,641
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,542 per month in Marsascala vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Marsascala $3,542
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Marsascala costs about 45% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Marsascala sits 28% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.93 €17.85

$10.92 MX$205

82.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 €76.1

$43.37 MX$814

96.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 €12.17

$11.78 MX$221

15.28%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.97

$3.81 MX$71.5

-42.26%

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

$2.45 €2.19

$1.28 MX$24.07

91.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.23

$0.78 MX$14.70

76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.53

$3.17 MX$59.5

24.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.07

$4.93 MX$92.7

-30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.41 MX$26.40

-13.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 €0.77

$2.22 MX$41.62

-61.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 €3.03

$1.42 MX$26.61

138.03%

Eggs

$4.18 €3.75

$2.52 MX$47.36

65.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.71 €5.11

$7.26 MX$136

-21.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 €5.57

$7.70 MX$144

-19.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.87 €12.42

$12.69 MX$238

9.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 €3.08

$2.78 MX$52.3

23.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.23

$1.37 MX$25.68

81.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.55 MX$47.89

-12.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.57

$2.12 MX$39.86

34.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.94 MX$36.39

16.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.89 MX$35.41

-2.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 €2.05

$1.15 MX$21.53

99.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.76

$1.18 MX$22.13

-27.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 €5.91

$4.30 MX$80.6

53.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.88 €6.16

$9.95 MX$187

-30.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.51

$1.58 MX$29.73

6.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.14

$2.67 MX$50.1

-10.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 €1.97

$0.55 MX$10.39

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 €4.57

$4.97 MX$93.3

2.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.97

$3.33 MX$62.5

-33.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.22 €11.84

$5.36 MX$101

146.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.44 MX$27.11

4.86%

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

$31.3K €28.0K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

51.28%

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

$36.0K €32.2K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

53.35%

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

$101 €90.5

$84.8 MX$1,592

19.15%

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

$20.54 €18.39

$23.41 MX$439

-12.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 €24.73

$28.66 MX$538

-3.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 €49.07

$57.1 MX$1,071

-3.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 €19.66

$28.91 MX$543

-24.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.24 €9.17

$5.14 MX$96.5

99.22%

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

$225 €202

$207 MX$3,878

8.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,512 €4,041

$3,927 MX$73.7K

14.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 €78.9

$43.35 MX$814

103.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.49 €26.41

$41.44 MX$778

-28.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 €78.9

$74.2 MX$1,393

18.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 €71.6

$89.3 MX$1,676

-10.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 €916

$980 MX$18.4K

4.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 €753

$381 MX$7,150

120.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,402

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-8.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,159

$1,075 MX$20.2K

20.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,942 €2,635

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-25.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,315 €2,074

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-62.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,101 €1,881

$735 MX$13.8K

186.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

11.45

-74.67%

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

Last update for Marsascala: 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.

Accommodation & Living

Marsascala

$841 48.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 54.7% $460

Eating Out

Marsascala

$268 15.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 24.6% $66

Groceries & Markets

Marsascala

$253 14.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 0.7% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marsascala

$149 8.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 8.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Marsascala

$128 7.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 13.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Marsascala

$75 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 10.6% $8

Getting Around

Marsascala

$25 * 1.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 103% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Marsascala versus $980 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 in Marsascala are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Marsascala versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $253 in Marsascala vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Marsascala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Marsascala

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:48 9:48 AM

03:48 3:48 AM

6 h behind Marsascala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,134

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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 EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Marsascala Playa del Carmen 9,670 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Marsascala
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

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

Yes – Marsascala is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,611 per month in Marsascala and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,022 in Marsascala and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Marsascala and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Marsascala and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Marsascala at $1,740. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Marsascala it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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