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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,076 in Massy versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,351 in Massy versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,625 in Massy versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Massy is roughly 60% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Massy is 55% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.02 €13.79

$11.73 MX$203

36.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 €49.25

$41.62 MX$719

37.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.68 €11.78

$10.64 MX$184

28.57%

Cappuccino

$4.56 €3.93

$3.52 MX$60.8

29.55%

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

$2.82 €2.43

$1.51 MX$26.09

86.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.03

$0.97 MX$16.82

143.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 €6.94

$2.95 MX$51.0

173.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 €5.13

$4.45 MX$77.0

33.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.38 MX$23.90

10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.89 MX$32.69

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.43

$1.64 MX$28.29

72.56%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.43

$2.51 MX$43.30

58.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.68 €15.22

$8.34 MX$144

111.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.09 €12.13

$8.34 MX$144

68.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.64 €19.49

$10.73 MX$185

111.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.60 MX$45.00

30.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.46 MX$25.18

42.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.90 MX$32.84

11.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 €3.22

$2.08 MX$35.88

80.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$1.78 MX$30.68

53.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 €2.55

$2.19 MX$37.76

35.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.04 MX$17.97

72.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.08 MX$18.60

-20.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 €11.86

$4.08 MX$70.5

237.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.09 €7.83

$10.32 MX$178

-11.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.29

$1.71 MX$29.59

55.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 €3.20

$2.58 MX$44.50

44.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.38

$0.51 MX$8.81

441.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.73 €42.82

$26.46 MX$457

87.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 €4.06

$3.26 MX$56.4

44.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 €1.40

$2.49 MX$43.05

-34.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.4 €48.53

$3.25 MX$56.1

1634.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.31 MX$22.59

64.89%

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

$38.2K €32.9K

$30.3K MX$523.2K

26.20%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$23.4K MX$404.9K

58.17%

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

$217 €187

$82.9 MX$1,432

162.37%

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

$17.07 €14.69

$22.22 MX$384

-23.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.70 €31.59

$29.34 MX$507

25.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.00 €31.85

$51.6 MX$892

-28.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.39 €20.14

$18.32 MX$317

27.67%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 €12.94

$5.07 MX$87.5

196.45%

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

$847 €729

$201 MX$3,470

321.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,759 €7,541

$5,212 MX$90.1K

68.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 €100

$36.92 MX$638

215.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 €49.45

$39.79 MX$688

44.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €108

$78.5 MX$1,356

60.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 €133

$87.1 MX$1,505

77.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 €1,054

$973 MX$16.8K

25.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$805 €693

$468 MX$8,082

72.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 €1,411

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-0.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 €1,501

$1,221 MX$21.1K

42.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,203 €5,340

$3,946 MX$68.2K

57.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 €2,968

$6,498 MX$112.3K

-46.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,120 €2,686

$664 MX$11.5K

369.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

11.42

-68.30%

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

Last update for Massy: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,224 in Massy and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Massy pays 370% 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: $57.0 in Massy vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 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

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

Massy and Playa del Carmen differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($2,076 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Massy pays 370% more on average, 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: $1,224 in Massy versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 88% less than in Massy. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $847 in Massy versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,076 in Massy, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Massy. 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, Massy 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 60% less than in Massy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.