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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,534 in Mayari versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,908 in Mayari versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,283 in Mayari versus $3,084 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mayari is roughly 19% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mayari is 15% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.04 CUP 145

$11.73 MX$202

-48.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.92 CUP 478

$41.78 MX$719

-52.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 CUP 157

$10.41 MX$179

-36.98%

Cappuccino

$1.32 CUP 31.59

$3.61 MX$62.1

-63.43%

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

$2.16 CUP 51.8

$1.46 MX$25.06

47.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CUP 29.33

$0.97 MX$16.70

25.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 CUP 58.3

$2.92 MX$50.3

-16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CUP 73.1

$4.62 MX$79.5

-33.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.87 CUP 69.0

$1.43 MX$24.59

100.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 CUP 19.91

$1.90 MX$32.70

-56.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 CUP 58.6

$1.57 MX$26.95

55.41%

Eggs

$3.20 CUP 76.9

$2.64 MX$45.34

21.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.78 CUP 139

$8.44 MX$145

-31.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 CUP 129

$8.58 MX$148

-37.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 CUP 286

$11.00 MX$189

8.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 CUP 122

$2.70 MX$46.51

88.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CUP 28.34

$1.51 MX$25.92

-21.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 CUP 34.21

$1.91 MX$32.93

-25.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 CUP 33.83

$2.17 MX$37.37

-35.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 CUP 44.84

$1.87 MX$32.25

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 CUP 70.0

$2.23 MX$38.43

30.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 CUP 24.65

$1.08 MX$18.60

-4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CUP 25.74

$1.07 MX$18.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 CUP 86.3

$4.16 MX$71.6

-13.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 CUP 238

$10.29 MX$177

-3.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CUP 41.37

$1.68 MX$28.95

2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 CUP 45.81

$2.53 MX$43.59

-24.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 CUP 5.40

$0.55 MX$9.53

-58.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.04 CUP 481

$26.29 MX$452

-23.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 CUP 55.0

$3.20 MX$55.0

-28.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 CUP 9.13

$2.46 MX$42.37

-84.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.28 CUP 487

$3.20 MX$55.0

533.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CUP 30.26

$1.32 MX$22.72

-4.55%

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

$71.3K CUP 1.7M

$30.2K MX$518.8K

136.50%

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

$78.5K CUP 1.9M

$23.4K MX$402.5K

235.59%

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

$35.66 CUP 856

$81.4 MX$1,400

-56.16%

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

$39.61 CUP 951

$22.41 MX$386

76.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$251 CUP 6,031

$29.97 MX$516

738.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.64 CUP 951

$51.6 MX$887

-23.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.03 CUP 361

$18.39 MX$316

-18.27%

Cinema Ticket

$1.01 CUP 24.31

$5.16 MX$88.9

-80.43%

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

$115 CUP 2,768

$202 MX$3,471

-42.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K CUP 417.3K

$5,311 MX$91.4K

227.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 CUP 1,337

$35.61 MX$613

56.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 CUP 953

$40.37 MX$695

-1.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.03 CUP 1,081

$78.6 MX$1,353

-42.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.0 CUP 1,201

$86.9 MX$1,495

-42.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 CUP 5,155

$950 MX$16.3K

-77.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 CUP 15.9K

$478 MX$8,227

38.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 CUP 9,234

$1,621 MX$27.9K

-76.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 CUP 16.3K

$1,223 MX$21.0K

-44.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$401 CUP 9,630

$4,009 MX$69.0K

-89.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$344 CUP 8,251

$6,473 MX$111.4K

-94.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$21.57 CUP 518

$673 MX$11.6K

-96.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-12.43%

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

Last update for Mayari: June 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $215 in Mayari and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3020% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Mayari vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $254 per month, with Mayari cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Mayari. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 3020% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $215 in Mayari versus $950 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 $20.00 in Mayari. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,534 per month in Mayari versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,534 in Mayari, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mayari. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,294 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.