Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maun and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Maun: $2.98 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Other living expenses 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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Maun

🇧🇼 Botswana

$2.98

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2.98 in Maun versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Maun $2.98
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5.08 in Maun versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Maun $5.08
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7.17 in Maun versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Maun $7.17
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Maun costs roughly 100% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maun 100% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 P 8.11

$0.51 MX$9.58

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 P 7.66

$4.76 MX$88.6

-88.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

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

$23.19 MX$431

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

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

$294 P 3,960

$207 MX$3,854

42.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

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 Maun: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Maun

–

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Groceries & Markets

Maun

–

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Eating Out

Maun

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maun

–

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Maun

–

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Maun

–

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Getting Around

Maun

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Good to know

🇧🇼 Maun

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

11:14 11:14 AM

7 h behind Maun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,784

149,923

💱 Currency

Botswana Pula BWP P

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 BWP = 7.43 USD

100 BWP = 6.64 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BWP – Botswana Pula Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇼 Botswana Pula (P)

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 13.45 BWP (100 BWP = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 15.06 BWP (100 BWP = 6.64 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD to BWP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maun Playa del Carmen 12,830 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Maun
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

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

Maun is about 100% cheaper overall, especially in transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4.47 in Maun and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $294 in Maun versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2.98 per month in Maun versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Maun is about 100% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2.98 in Maun versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Maun but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Maun 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.