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: $1,522 in Mayari versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,904 in Mayari versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,287 in Mayari versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mayari is roughly 18% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mayari is 14% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.96 CUP 143

$11.94 MX$209

-50.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.66 CUP 472

$42.75 MX$748

-54.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 CUP 159

$10.59 MX$185

-37.49%

Cappuccino

$1.27 CUP 30.54

$3.62 MX$63.4

-64.92%

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

$2.18 CUP 52.4

$1.47 MX$25.69

48.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CUP 29.63

$0.94 MX$16.51

30.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 CUP 58.8

$3.09 MX$54.1

-20.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 CUP 73.8

$4.46 MX$78.0

-31.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.03 CUP 72.7

$1.43 MX$24.94

111.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 CUP 20.03

$1.88 MX$32.97

-55.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 CUP 59.8

$1.63 MX$28.50

52.76%

Eggs

$3.19 CUP 76.5

$2.64 MX$46.26

20.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 CUP 143

$8.21 MX$144

-27.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 CUP 130

$8.29 MX$145

-34.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 CUP 282

$11.10 MX$194

5.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 CUP 120

$2.65 MX$46.40

89.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CUP 28.28

$1.50 MX$26.26

-21.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 CUP 32.82

$1.99 MX$34.79

-31.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 CUP 35.65

$2.08 MX$36.33

-28.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CUP 45.24

$1.79 MX$31.29

5.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 CUP 70.2

$2.18 MX$38.09

33.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.26

$1.08 MX$18.84

-6.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CUP 25.84

$1.04 MX$18.15

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 CUP 83.0

$3.97 MX$69.5

-12.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 CUP 241

$10.20 MX$179

-1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CUP 40.75

$1.73 MX$30.22

-1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 CUP 45.52

$2.50 MX$43.71

-24.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 CUP 4.47

$0.52 MX$9.07

-63.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.67 CUP 472

$26.97 MX$472

-27.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 CUP 55.3

$3.14 MX$55.0

-26.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 CUP 9.97

$2.40 MX$42.04

-82.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.33 CUP 488

$3.09 MX$54.0

557.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CUP 29.63

$1.27 MX$22.28

-3.15%

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

$71.4K CUP 1.7M

$30.9K MX$540.4K

131.08%

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

$78.8K CUP 1.9M

$23.3K MX$408.0K

237.88%

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

$35.35 CUP 848

$82.0 MX$1,435

-56.90%

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

$40.35 CUP 968

$22.45 MX$393

79.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$246 CUP 5,914

$29.66 MX$519

730.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.71 CUP 953

$51.9 MX$908

-23.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 CUP 356

$18.67 MX$327

-20.51%

Cinema Ticket

$0.99 CUP 23.65

$4.97 MX$87.0

-80.08%

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

$118 CUP 2,836

$198 MX$3,462

-40.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K CUP 416.7K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

229.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 CUP 1,328

$36.34 MX$636

52.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.55 CUP 949

$40.05 MX$701

-1.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.31 CUP 1,088

$79.9 MX$1,398

-43.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.82 CUP 1,196

$88.9 MX$1,555

-43.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 CUP 5,062

$963 MX$16.9K

-78.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 CUP 16.0K

$465 MX$8,133

43.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 CUP 9,216

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-75.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 CUP 16.5K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-43.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$392 CUP 9,404

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-90.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$349 CUP 8,382

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-94.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$21.67 CUP 520

$720 MX$12.6K

-96.99%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $211 in Mayari and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3224% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $251 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 18% 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 3224% 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: $211 in Mayari versus $963 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 $43.00 versus $20.00 in Mayari. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,522 per month in Mayari versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,522 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 $1,287 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 18% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.