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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,010 in Marsaxlokk versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,096 in Marsaxlokk versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,181 in Marsaxlokk versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Marsaxlokk is roughly 55% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Marsaxlokk is 50% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.93 €18.02

$11.73 MX$203

78.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 €82.1

$41.62 MX$721

128.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.50 €9.91

$10.64 MX$184

8.08%

Cappuccino

$2.93 €2.53

$3.52 MX$61.0

-16.76%

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

$3.12 €2.69

$1.51 MX$26.17

106.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.86

$0.97 MX$16.87

121.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.89

$2.95 MX$51.1

53.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.04

$4.45 MX$77.2

5.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.38 MX$23.97

-2.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.89 MX$32.78

-32.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 €3.65

$1.64 MX$28.37

157.93%

Eggs

$4.54 €3.91

$2.51 MX$43.42

80.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 €8.94

$8.34 MX$145

24.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.10

$8.34 MX$145

12.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 €12.17

$10.73 MX$186

31.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 €3.85

$2.60 MX$45.12

71.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.46 MX$25.25

115.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 €2.77

$1.90 MX$32.94

69.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 €3.22

$2.08 MX$35.98

79.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.12

$1.78 MX$30.77

38.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.19 MX$37.87

-38.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.04 MX$18.02

131.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.08 MX$18.66

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.52 €5.62

$4.08 MX$70.7

59.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 €7.15

$10.32 MX$179

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.71 MX$29.67

14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.58 MX$44.63

-12.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 €2.34

$0.51 MX$8.83

431.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 €5.11

$3.26 MX$56.5

81.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.13 €3.56

$2.49 MX$43.17

65.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.33 €41.62

$3.25 MX$56.3

1387.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.31 MX$22.65

15.27%

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

$39.1K €33.7K

$30.3K MX$524.7K

29.11%

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

$38.1K €32.8K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

62.60%

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

$94.6 €81.4

$82.9 MX$1,436

14.12%

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

$27.95 €24.07

$22.22 MX$385

25.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.13 €38.86

$29.34 MX$508

53.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 €55.9

$51.6 MX$895

25.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 €19.64

$18.32 MX$317

24.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.39 €8.95

$5.07 MX$87.8

104.93%

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

$433 €373

$201 MX$3,480

115.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,545

$5,212 MX$90.3K

112.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 €78.4

$36.92 MX$640

146.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.28 €33.82

$39.79 MX$689

-1.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.1

$78.5 MX$1,360

28.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €86.6

$87.1 MX$1,509

15.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 €983

$973 MX$16.9K

17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 €815

$468 MX$8,105

102.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 €1,701

$1,641 MX$28.4K

20.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 €1,284

$1,221 MX$21.2K

22.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,718

$3,946 MX$68.4K

9.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,288 €2,832

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-49.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

11.42

-55.52%

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

Last update for Marsaxlokk: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,141 in Marsaxlokk and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95.0 in Marsaxlokk vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Marsaxlokk. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,015 in Marsaxlokk and $1,945 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: $1,141 in Marsaxlokk versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Marsaxlokk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,010 per month in Marsaxlokk versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,010 in Marsaxlokk, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Marsaxlokk. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,297 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Marsaxlokk and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Marsaxlokk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.