Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mary and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mary: $465 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Mary

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$465

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $465 in Mary versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Mary $465
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $705 in Mary versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Mary $705
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $944 in Mary versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Mary $944
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Mary costs roughly 61% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mary 66% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.36 TMT 38.04

$10.92 MX$205

4.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 TMT 29.52

$11.78 MX$221

-25.21%

Cappuccino

$8.41 TMT 28.18

$3.81 MX$71.6

120.73%

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

$12.82 TMT 42.95

$1.28 MX$24.10

901.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 TMT 4.87

$0.78 MX$14.71

85.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.00 TMT 46.89

$3.17 MX$59.5

341.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.57 TMT 38.75

$4.93 MX$92.7

134.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.81 TMT 9.42

$1.41 MX$26.43

99.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

Eggs

$6.77 TMT 22.67

$2.52 MX$47.41

168.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 TMT 7.43

$2.78 MX$52.3

-20.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 TMT 4.91

$2.12 MX$39.90

-30.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 TMT 6.75

$1.94 MX$36.43

3.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 TMT 5.69

$1.89 MX$35.44

-10.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 TMT 3.89

$1.18 MX$22.16

-1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.27 TMT 57.9

$4.30 MX$80.7

301.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

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

$23.41 MX$440

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

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

$207 MX$3,882

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$210 TMT 705

$735 MX$13.8K

-71.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Mary: October 26, 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

Mary

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Mary

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Mary

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mary

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Mary

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Mary

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Mary

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Good to know

🇹🇲 Mary

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:05 9:05 AM

23:05 11:05 PM

10 h behind Mary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.267 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to TMT – Turkmenistani Manat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇲 Turkmenistani Manat (m)

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.74 TMT (1 TMT = 0.267 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to TMT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mary Playa del Carmen 12,770 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mary
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

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

Mary wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mary the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Mary. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 163% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $465 per month in Mary versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Mary is about 61% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $465 in Mary versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Mary but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Mary wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.