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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,016 per month in Maspalomas vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,700 per month in Maspalomas vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,383 per month in Maspalomas vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Maspalomas costs about 59% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Maspalomas sits 47% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.05 €12.24

$11.60 MX$200

21.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 €64.8

$47.11 MX$812

57.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 €9.59

$11.88 MX$205

-7.41%

Cappuccino

$2.66 €2.32

$3.98 MX$68.6

-33.17%

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

$2.19 €1.91

$1.43 MX$24.60

53.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.82 MX$14.22

112.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 €2.71

$3.19 MX$55.0

-2.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 €3.31

$6.79 MX$117

-44.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.02

$1.68 MX$28.89

-30.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 €1.48

$2.20 MX$37.88

-23.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 €1.42

$1.71 MX$29.45

-4.68%

Eggs

$3.71 €3.23

$2.74 MX$47.26

35.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 €10.97

$9.58 MX$165

31.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 €8.29

$9.01 MX$155

5.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €15.95

$12.81 MX$221

42.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.89 MX$49.81

-8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.50 MX$25.81

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.15 MX$37.03

10.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$2.26 MX$38.96

-24.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.98 MX$34.15

23.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$1.99 MX$34.30

23.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.23 MX$21.28

-7.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.76

$1.20 MX$20.63

-27.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.55 MX$78.5

-0.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.77 €5.90

$10.37 MX$179

-34.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.62 MX$27.91

14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.36

$2.88 MX$49.67

-6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 €3.01

$0.60 MX$10.35

476.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.6 €51.1

$28.80 MX$497

103.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 €3.01

$5.39 MX$92.9

-35.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €1.97

$3.73 MX$64.3

-39.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.39 €24.74

$5.77 MX$99.5

392.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.54 MX$26.48

1.30%

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

$36.7K €32.0K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

62.75%

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

$29.9K €26.0K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

14.59%

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

$115 €99.9

$91.4 MX$1,576

25.38%

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

$17.47 €15.23

$25.20 MX$435

-30.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.35 €24.72

$31.24 MX$539

-9.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$9.02 €7.86

$4.86 MX$83.8

85.60%

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

$493 €430

$224 MX$3,856

120.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,906 €6,020

$4,229 MX$72.9K

63.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 €74.9

$47.10 MX$812

82.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.84 €19.91

$44.29 MX$764

-48.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 €81.8

$80.1 MX$1,381

17.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 €71.5

$92.7 MX$1,598

-11.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 €1,262

$1,063 MX$18.3K

36.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 €953

$390 MX$6,728

180.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 €1,201

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-35.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 €1,044

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-5.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,398 €5,577

$4,001 MX$69.0K

59.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,287 €4,609

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-18.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,480 €1,290

$758 MX$13.1K

95.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.15

11.45

-72.49%

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

Last update for Maspalomas: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,448 in Maspalomas versus $1,063 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 95% higher in Maspalomas, 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 $74.0 in Maspalomas versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $276 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Maspalomas costs about 59% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,025 per month in Maspalomas and $1,899 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 103% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Maspalomas and $224 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 $1,266, than in Maspalomas at $2,016. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maspalomas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,266 versus $2,016 in Maspalomas. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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