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: $2,035 in Marsaxlokk versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,122 in Marsaxlokk versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,208 in Marsaxlokk versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Marsaxlokk is roughly 61% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Marsaxlokk is 49% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 €17.77

$11.60 MX$199

75.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.2 €76.9

$47.11 MX$809

87.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.83 €12.05

$11.88 MX$204

16.41%

Cappuccino

$2.84 €2.47

$3.98 MX$68.2

-28.64%

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

$3.24 €2.83

$1.43 MX$24.49

126.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.03

$0.82 MX$14.16

184.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.76 €4.15

$3.19 MX$54.7

49.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 €4.51

$6.79 MX$117

-23.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 €1.26

$1.68 MX$28.76

-13.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 €1.22

$2.20 MX$37.71

-36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 €3.84

$1.71 MX$29.32

157.31%

Eggs

$4.29 €3.74

$2.74 MX$47.05

56.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 €7.43

$9.58 MX$164

-10.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.98 €9.57

$9.01 MX$155

21.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.14 €16.67

$12.81 MX$220

49.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 €3.81

$2.89 MX$49.58

51.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 €2.55

$1.50 MX$25.70

94.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.80 €3.31

$2.15 MX$36.87

76.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 €3.08

$2.26 MX$38.79

56.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.25

$1.98 MX$34.00

30.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.99 MX$34.15

3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 €2.07

$1.23 MX$21.18

93.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.20 MX$20.54

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €6.00

$4.55 MX$78.1

51.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.26 €7.20

$10.37 MX$178

-20.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.62 MX$27.79

8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.88 MX$49.44

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 €2.35

$0.60 MX$10.30

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 €4.97

$5.39 MX$92.5

5.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.00

$3.73 MX$64.0

-38.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.67 €24.10

$5.77 MX$99.0

379.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.54 MX$26.37

-0.65%

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

$38.7K €33.7K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

71.58%

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

$40.7K €35.5K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

56.16%

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

$104 €90.6

$91.4 MX$1,569

13.80%

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

$25.84 €22.51

$25.20 MX$433

2.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.64 €38.89

$31.24 MX$536

42.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 €59.6

$67.2 MX$1,154

1.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$10.58 €9.22

$4.86 MX$83.5

117.70%

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

$377 €329

$224 MX$3,839

68.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K €9,975

$4,229 MX$72.6K

170.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 €78.3

$47.10 MX$808

90.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.37 €36.04

$44.29 MX$760

-6.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$80.1 MX$1,375

29.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.3 €69.1

$92.7 MX$1,591

-14.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,077

$1,063 MX$18.2K

16.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 €755

$390 MX$6,698

122.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,971 €1,717

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-8.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 €1,262

$1,272 MX$21.8K

13.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,251 €3,704

$4,001 MX$68.7K

6.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,889 €2,517

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-55.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

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 Marsaxlokk: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,236 in Marsaxlokk and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88.0 in Marsaxlokk vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $276 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 61% 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 $3,053 in Marsaxlokk and $1,899 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: $1,236 in Marsaxlokk versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Marsaxlokk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,035 per month in Marsaxlokk versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,035 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 $1,266 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 61% less than in Marsaxlokk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.