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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,324 in Mazsalaca versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Mazsalaca versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,707 in Mazsalaca versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mazsalaca is roughly 5% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mazsalaca 1% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.70 €10.25

$11.99 MX$209

-2.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.9 €51.6

$41.78 MX$728

41.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 €6.81

$10.75 MX$187

-27.72%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.86

$3.50 MX$60.9

-6.86%

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

$1.77 €1.55

$1.45 MX$25.22

22.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.19

$0.88 MX$15.41

54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 €4.29

$2.95 MX$51.3

66.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.61

$4.51 MX$78.6

-33.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.43 MX$24.94

-3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.84 MX$31.99

-10.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.55

$1.57 MX$27.31

85.35%

Eggs

$3.21 €2.81

$2.51 MX$43.74

27.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 €10.55

$8.28 MX$144

45.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.87

$8.43 MX$147

-6.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 €10.39

$10.68 MX$186

11.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 €1.23

$2.61 MX$45.43

-45.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.44 MX$25.04

17.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.30

$1.96 MX$34.16

34.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 €3.12

$2.09 MX$36.47

70.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 €0.82

$1.85 MX$32.24

-49.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 €0.88

$2.17 MX$37.74

-53.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.03 MX$17.96

73.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$1.07 MX$18.70

-16.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.21 €4.56

$4.10 MX$71.4

27.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.68 MX$29.17

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.90

$2.53 MX$43.98

-14.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 €0.82

$0.51 MX$8.87

82.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.17 €32.55

$26.04 MX$453

42.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 €2.09

$3.23 MX$56.3

-26.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.75

$2.41 MX$41.88

-64.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 €10.31

$3.23 MX$56.2

264.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.32 MX$23.00

40.91%

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

$30.6K €26.8K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

3.12%

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

$31.9K €27.9K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

34.69%

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

$309 €271

$82.0 MX$1,428

276.70%

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

$17.28 €15.14

$22.95 MX$400

-24.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.31 €16.91

$30.11 MX$524

-35.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 €45.19

$52.0 MX$905

-0.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 €9.95

$4.98 MX$86.6

128.11%

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

$537 €470

$197 MX$3,438

172.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K €13.5K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

188.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$35.60 MX$620

151.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.96 €40.25

$40.33 MX$702

13.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 €82.4

$78.8 MX$1,371

19.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €119

$88.9 MX$1,549

53.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 €312

$947 MX$16.5K

-62.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 €221

$474 MX$8,254

-46.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$749 €656

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-54.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 €400

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-62.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

11.42

-64.10%

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

Last update for Mazsalaca: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $357 in Mazsalaca and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in Mazsalaca vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $247 vs $249, with Mazsalaca cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Mazsalaca. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,987 in Mazsalaca and $1,884 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $357 in Mazsalaca versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $537 in Mazsalaca versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Mazsalaca pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,324 in Mazsalaca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mazsalaca. 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 $1,256 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mazsalaca and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Mazsalaca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.