Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mayari and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,484 in Mayari, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mayari outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

73

Cost of Living Index in Mayari
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Mayari Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Mayari

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,484

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mayari versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen.

Mayari $1,484
Playa del Carmen $1,215

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,453 in Mayari versus $2,144 in Playa del Carmen.

Mayari $2,453
Playa del Carmen $2,144

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,423 in Mayari versus $3,072 in Playa del Carmen.

Mayari $3,423
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Living in Mayari is roughly 22% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mayari is 11% above, Playa del Carmen is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.87 CUP 141

$10.97 MX$201

-46.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.85 CUP 476

$44.85 MX$823

-55.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 CUP 154

$11.92 MX$219

-46.14%

Cappuccino

$1.32 CUP 31.74

$3.80 MX$69.9

-65.26%

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

$2.14 CUP 51.5

$1.31 MX$24.08

63.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CUP 29.49

$0.86 MX$15.72

43.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 CUP 60.5

$3.21 MX$59.0

-21.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 CUP 70.8

$5.01 MX$92.0

-41.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.01 CUP 72.2

$1.46 MX$26.77

106.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 CUP 18.40

$2.33 MX$42.72

-66.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 CUP 58.3

$1.44 MX$26.48

68.75%

Eggs

$3.07 CUP 73.7

$2.46 MX$45.20

24.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.81 CUP 139

$7.70 MX$141

-24.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.23 CUP 125

$7.89 MX$145

-33.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.96 CUP 287

$12.80 MX$235

-6.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 CUP 121

$2.92 MX$53.6

72.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CUP 28.41

$1.42 MX$26.11

-16.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 CUP 34.11

$2.57 MX$47.10

-44.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 CUP 33.97

$2.14 MX$39.24

-33.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CUP 46.37

$1.95 MX$35.75

-1.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 CUP 69.1

$1.94 MX$35.55

48.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.39

$1.15 MX$21.13

-11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CUP 26.88

$1.22 MX$22.42

-8.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 CUP 85.1

$4.38 MX$80.3

-18.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.86 CUP 237

$9.85 MX$181

0.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CUP 40.96

$1.54 MX$28.23

11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 CUP 47.78

$2.72 MX$49.86

-26.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 CUP 4.46

$0.52 MX$9.64

-63.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.16 CUP 484

$27.42 MX$503

-26.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 CUP 55.1

$4.91 MX$90.2

-53.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 CUP 9.92

$3.52 MX$64.7

-88.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 CUP 475

$5.69 MX$104

247.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CUP 29.74

$1.54 MX$28.27

-19.48%

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

$70.0K CUP 1.7M

$21.2K MX$389.9K

229.50%

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

$80.4K CUP 1.9M

$24.5K MX$449.6K

228.47%

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

$35.53 CUP 853

$83.6 MX$1,535

-57.51%

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

$40.35 CUP 968

$24.03 MX$441

67.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$252 CUP 6,052

$29.33 MX$539

759.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.42 CUP 946

$64.9 MX$1,191

-39.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.92 CUP 358

$29.46 MX$541

-49.36%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.61

$5.09 MX$93.4

-80.75%

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

$119 CUP 2,859

$208 MX$3,813

-42.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K CUP 412.2K

$4,045 MX$74.3K

324.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 CUP 1,303

$44.55 MX$818

21.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 CUP 968

$42.06 MX$772

-4.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.69 CUP 1,096

$75.5 MX$1,387

-39.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.17 CUP 1,180

$91.4 MX$1,678

-46.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 CUP 5,069

$986 MX$18.1K

-78.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$679 CUP 16.3K

$385 MX$7,072

76.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 CUP 9,016

$1,713 MX$31.5K

-78.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 CUP 41.7K

$1,108 MX$20.4K

56.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$390 CUP 9,357

$4,016 MX$73.7K

-90.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$354 CUP 8,506

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-94.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$21.80 CUP 523

$758 MX$13.9K

-97.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-12.66%

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

Last update for Mayari: October 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mayari

$679 44.7%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 43.2% $293

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mayari

$328 21.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 58.2% $191

Groceries & Markets

Mayari

$246 16.2%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 6% $15

Eating Out

Mayari

$114 7.5%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 78.8% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Mayari

$85 5.6%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 33.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Mayari

$41 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 81.3% $34

Getting Around

Mayari

$25 1.7%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 106% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $211 in Mayari and $986 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3377% 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $260 per month, with Mayari cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Mayari

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:05 9:05 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

1 h behind Mayari

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,259

149,923

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.72 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.89 CUP (100 CUP = 3.72 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to CUP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mayari Playa del Carmen 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mayari
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 22% 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 3377% 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: $211 in Mayari versus $986 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 $45.00 versus $20.00 in Mayari. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mayari versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,484 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 $1,215 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 22% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.