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: $1,514 in Mayari versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,896 in Mayari versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,279 in Mayari versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mayari is roughly 20% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mayari is 14% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.03 CUP 145

$11.72 MX$203

-48.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.18 CUP 484

$41.89 MX$725

-51.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 CUP 155

$10.51 MX$182

-38.73%

Cappuccino

$1.33 CUP 31.87

$3.59 MX$62.0

-62.95%

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

$2.18 CUP 52.2

$1.51 MX$26.10

44.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 CUP 29.64

$0.92 MX$15.83

34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 CUP 61.1

$2.96 MX$51.2

-14.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 CUP 71.4

$4.41 MX$76.3

-32.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 CUP 69.3

$1.40 MX$24.16

106.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 CUP 18.92

$1.88 MX$32.60

-57.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 CUP 61.1

$1.56 MX$26.97

63.46%

Eggs

$3.09 CUP 74.2

$2.61 MX$45.14

18.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 CUP 143

$8.32 MX$144

-28.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 CUP 129

$8.35 MX$145

-35.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.81 CUP 283

$10.86 MX$188

8.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 CUP 121

$2.71 MX$46.93

86.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CUP 29.29

$1.51 MX$26.04

-19.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 CUP 33.31

$1.87 MX$32.41

-25.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 CUP 35.75

$2.19 MX$37.89

-31.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 CUP 46.87

$1.86 MX$32.14

4.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 CUP 67.4

$2.23 MX$38.59

26.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.29

$1.07 MX$18.48

-5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CUP 25.90

$1.09 MX$18.79

-0.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 CUP 82.8

$4.19 MX$72.4

-17.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 CUP 244

$10.43 MX$180

-2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 CUP 42.39

$1.66 MX$28.68

6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 CUP 47.18

$2.61 MX$45.19

-24.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 CUP 4.49

$0.54 MX$9.37

-64.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.16 CUP 484

$26.16 MX$453

-22.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 CUP 55.6

$3.08 MX$53.3

-24.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 CUP 9.90

$2.40 MX$41.61

-82.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.61 CUP 471

$3.13 MX$54.1

526.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CUP 29.69

$1.31 MX$22.69

-5.34%

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

$71.0K CUP 1.7M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

138.23%

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

$79.3K CUP 1.9M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

240.13%

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

$34.70 CUP 833

$81.3 MX$1,406

-57.31%

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

$39.47 CUP 947

$22.56 MX$390

74.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$247 CUP 5,917

$30.05 MX$520

720.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.53 CUP 949

$52.9 MX$915

-25.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 CUP 355

$18.39 MX$318

-19.68%

Cinema Ticket

$0.97 CUP 23.35

$4.92 MX$85.1

-80.28%

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

$118 CUP 2,841

$201 MX$3,474

-41.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CUP 428.3K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

244.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 CUP 1,302

$35.92 MX$622

51.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.36 CUP 969

$40.13 MX$694

0.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.37 CUP 1,065

$79.7 MX$1,379

-44.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.6 CUP 1,214

$86.5 MX$1,496

-41.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 CUP 5,163

$978 MX$16.9K

-78.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 CUP 15.9K

$470 MX$8,140

40.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 CUP 9,100

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-77.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 CUP 16.6K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-42.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$400 CUP 9,591

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-89.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$356 CUP 8,535

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-94.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$22.02 CUP 529

$677 MX$11.7K

-96.75%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $215 in Mayari and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 2973% 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 $247 vs $252 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 20% 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, salaries run 2973% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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 $978 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 $1,514 per month in Mayari versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,514 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 $1,260 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 20% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.