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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,720 in Massa versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,663 in Massa versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,606 in Massa versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Massa is roughly 37% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Massa is 29% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.53 €15.35

$11.99 MX$209

46.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 €65.5

$41.78 MX$728

78.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.67

$10.75 MX$187

2.70%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.90

$3.50 MX$60.9

-38.00%

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

$2.41 €2.11

$1.45 MX$25.22

66.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.99

$0.88 MX$15.41

28.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 €4.01

$2.95 MX$51.3

55.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €4.93

$4.51 MX$78.6

24.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.43 MX$24.94

10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 €2.26

$1.84 MX$31.99

40.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.45

$1.57 MX$27.31

78.34%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.52

$2.51 MX$43.74

105.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.23 €18.59

$8.28 MX$144

156.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 €11.63

$8.43 MX$147

57.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 €15.65

$10.68 MX$186

67.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.61 MX$45.43

-5.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.44 MX$25.04

48.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.96 MX$34.16

2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 €2.56

$2.09 MX$36.47

39.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.44

$1.85 MX$32.24

-11.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.17

$2.17 MX$37.74

-38.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.03 MX$17.96

65.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.53

$1.07 MX$18.70

-43.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.96 €6.10

$4.10 MX$71.4

69.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 €7.10

$10.17 MX$177

-20.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.68 MX$29.17

2.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.53 MX$43.98

-24.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.49

$0.51 MX$8.87

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.35 €37.97

$26.04 MX$453

66.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 €5.10

$3.23 MX$56.3

80.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 €1.27

$2.41 MX$41.88

-39.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.66 €25.10

$3.23 MX$56.2

787.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.83

$1.32 MX$23.00

58.33%

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

$26.3K €23.1K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

-11.33%

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

$34.5K €30.2K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

45.76%

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

$182 €159

$82.0 MX$1,428

121.45%

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

$15.33 €13.43

$22.95 MX$400

-33.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.67 €25.98

$30.11 MX$524

-1.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 €48.04

$52.0 MX$905

5.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.98 €20.13

$18.53 MX$323

24.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.55 €9.24

$4.98 MX$86.6

111.85%

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

$658 €576

$197 MX$3,438

233.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,623 €4,049

$5,336 MX$92.9K

-13.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.8 €79.5

$35.60 MX$620

155.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.00 €39.41

$40.33 MX$702

11.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €85.8

$78.8 MX$1,371

24.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €148

$88.9 MX$1,549

90.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 €669

$947 MX$16.5K

-19.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 €510

$474 MX$8,254

22.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,062

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-26.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 €810

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-23.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,939 €2,574

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-27.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,050 €1,795

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-68.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 €1,525

$654 MX$11.4K

166.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.83

11.42

-57.71%

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

Last update for Massa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $764 in Massa and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Massa pays 166% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Massa vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 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

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

Massa and Playa del Carmen differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,720 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 166% higher in Massa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $764 in Massa versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $75.0 in Massa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,720 per month in Massa versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,720 in Massa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Massa. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

Safety-wise, Massa 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 37% less than in Massa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.