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: $2,319 in Massy versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,556 in Massy versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,794 in Massy versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Massy is roughly 79% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Massy is 69% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 €16.26

$11.71 MX$198

61.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 €64.2

$46.59 MX$787

60.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.04 €12.08

$11.65 MX$197

20.52%

Cappuccino

$4.71 €4.05

$4.09 MX$69.2

15.16%

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

$3.40 €2.93

$1.37 MX$23.23

148.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.98

$0.83 MX$14.09

177.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 €7.02

$3.35 MX$56.7

143.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 €5.09

$6.91 MX$117

-14.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.73 MX$29.19

-12.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.10

$2.26 MX$38.20

7.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$1.77 MX$29.90

64.41%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.62

$2.73 MX$46.18

53.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.19 €19.09

$9.18 MX$155

141.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.13 €13.02

$8.92 MX$151

69.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.30 €19.19

$12.60 MX$213

76.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 €2.94

$3.02 MX$51.1

13.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.57 MX$26.54

38.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.13 MX$35.92

11.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 €3.72

$2.26 MX$38.27

91.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.00 MX$33.87

-1.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.06 MX$34.89

-0.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.18 MX$19.94

48.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.83

$1.20 MX$20.35

-19.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.42 €12.41

$4.63 MX$78.3

211.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.84

$10.69 MX$181

-14.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.62 MX$27.37

56.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 €3.30

$2.88 MX$48.69

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.57 MX$9.69

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 €85.3

$29.83 MX$504

232.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 €2.02

$5.45 MX$92.1

-57.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.33

$3.70 MX$62.6

-58.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.04 €21.55

$5.98 MX$101

318.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.55 MX$26.25

43.23%

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

$35.5K €30.6K

$22.3K MX$377.3K

59.12%

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

$35.8K €30.8K

$25.9K MX$438.5K

37.79%

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

$219 €188

$89.1 MX$1,506

145.23%

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

$17.62 €15.16

$25.04 MX$423

-29.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.27 €27.77

$31.50 MX$532

2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.69 €32.43

$67.8 MX$1,145

-44.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.66 €20.36

$28.92 MX$489

-18.19%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 €12.64

$5.05 MX$85.3

190.89%

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

$828 €713

$225 MX$3,802

268.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,772 €4,967

$4,222 MX$71.4K

36.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.3

$47.44 MX$802

143.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.79

$44.98 MX$760

18.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

$82.0 MX$1,386

49.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.8

$92.1 MX$1,556

24.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,040

$1,069 MX$18.1K

13.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$927 €797

$405 MX$6,850

128.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 €1,455

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-12.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,761 €1,515

$1,301 MX$22.0K

35.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,028 €5,187

$3,995 MX$67.5K

50.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,444 €2,963

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-48.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,134 €2,697

$749 MX$12.7K

318.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

11.45

-66.38%

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

Last update for Massy: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,209 in Massy and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Massy pays 319% 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 Massy vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $277 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 79% in total monthly costs ($2,319 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 319% higher in Massy, 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: $1,209 in Massy versus $1,069 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 232% less than in Massy. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $828 in Massy versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,319 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 79% less than in Massy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.