Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mazatlan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,436 in Mazatlan, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mazatlan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

70

Cost of Living Index in Mazatlan
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Mazatlan Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Mazatlan

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,436

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,436 per month in Mazatlan vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mazatlan $1,436
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $2,041 per month in Mazatlan vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mazatlan $2,041
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $2,645 per month in Mazatlan vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mazatlan $2,645
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Mazatlan costs about 18% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Mazatlan sits 7% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 MX$201

$10.97 MX$201

-0.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.29 MX$850

$44.85 MX$823

3.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.37 MX$154

$11.92 MX$219

-29.78%

Cappuccino

$3.40 MX$62.4

$3.80 MX$69.9

-10.53%

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

$1.45 MX$26.53

$1.31 MX$24.08

10.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$20.12

$0.86 MX$15.72

27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 MX$39.04

$3.21 MX$59.0

-33.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MX$52.0

$5.01 MX$92.0

-43.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$30.14

$1.46 MX$26.77

12.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 MX$47.48

$2.33 MX$42.72

11.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MX$24.44

$1.44 MX$26.48

-7.64%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$50.4

$2.46 MX$45.20

11.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 MX$148

$7.70 MX$141

4.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.94 MX$127

$7.89 MX$145

-12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 MX$141

$12.80 MX$235

-40.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 MX$49.89

$2.92 MX$53.6

-6.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MX$31.17

$1.42 MX$26.11

19.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 MX$29.79

$2.57 MX$47.10

-36.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 MX$9.52

$2.14 MX$39.24

-75.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 MX$29.99

$1.95 MX$35.75

-16.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.12

$1.94 MX$35.55

-29.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 MX$29.44

$1.15 MX$21.13

39.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$77.1

$4.38 MX$80.3

-4.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.98 MX$293

$9.85 MX$181

62.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 MX$37.24

$1.54 MX$28.23

31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$56.8

$2.72 MX$49.86

13.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$12.72

$0.52 MX$9.64

32.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.84 MX$768

$27.42 MX$503

52.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 MX$68.0

$4.91 MX$90.2

-24.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 MX$45.00

$3.52 MX$64.7

-30.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.17

$1.54 MX$28.27

-0.65%

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

$21.4K MX$393.0K

$21.2K MX$389.9K

0.78%

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

$24.8K MX$455.0K

$24.5K MX$449.6K

1.21%

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

$59.0 MX$1,084

$83.6 MX$1,535

-29.39%

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

$46.93 MX$862

$24.03 MX$441

95.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.53 MX$799

$29.33 MX$539

48.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.05 MX$827

$64.9 MX$1,191

-30.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 MX$80.7

$5.09 MX$93.4

-13.75%

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

$88.4 MX$1,624

$208 MX$3,813

-57.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,007 MX$36.9K

$4,045 MX$74.3K

-50.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 MX$1,173

$44.55 MX$818

43.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.58 MX$506

$42.06 MX$772

-34.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,055

$75.5 MX$1,387

48.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 MX$1,545

$91.4 MX$1,678

-7.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 MX$14.5K

$986 MX$18.1K

-20.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 MX$11.4K

$385 MX$7,072

60.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 MX$22.8K

$1,713 MX$31.5K

-27.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$840 MX$15.4K

$1,108 MX$20.4K

-24.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,579 MX$29.0K

$4,016 MX$73.7K

-60.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,051 MX$19.3K

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-83.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$533 MX$9,785

$758 MX$13.9K

-29.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

11.45

1.31%

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

Last update for Mazatlan: 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

Mazatlan

$619 43.4%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 37.8% $234

Groceries & Markets

Mazatlan

$236 * 16.5%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 10.5% $25

Eating Out

Mazatlan

$180 12.6%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 13.3% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mazatlan

$150 10.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 8.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Mazatlan

$129 9.1%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 11.8% $15

Getting Around

Mazatlan

$61 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 14.1% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Mazatlan

$54 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 39.4% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Mazatlan versus $986 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 42% higher in Playa del Carmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Mazatlan versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Mazatlan vs $260 in Playa del Carmen – so Mazatlan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mazatlan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

2 h ahead of Mazatlan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

441,975

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mazatlan Playa del Carmen 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Mazatlan
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,436 in Mazatlan, $1,215 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,155 per month in Mazatlan and $1,823 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $88.4 per month in Mazatlan and $208 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Mazatlan at $1,436. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mazatlan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,215 in Playa del Carmen to $1,436 in Mazatlan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mazatlan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.