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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,017 in Mdina versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,028 in Mdina versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,039 in Mdina versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mdina is roughly 61% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mdina is 51% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.17 €18.54

$11.99 MX$209

76.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.2 €82.5

$41.78 MX$728

125.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €10.04

$10.75 MX$187

6.60%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.66

$3.50 MX$60.9

-13.14%

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

$3.11 €2.72

$1.45 MX$25.22

114.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.98

$0.88 MX$15.41

156.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.95 MX$51.3

58.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €4.02

$4.51 MX$78.6

1.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.23

$1.43 MX$24.94

-2.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.84 MX$31.99

-32.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 €3.86

$1.57 MX$27.31

180.25%

Eggs

$4.72 €4.14

$2.51 MX$43.74

88.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 €9.13

$8.28 MX$144

25.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.42

$8.43 MX$147

14.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 €12.38

$10.68 MX$186

32.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 €3.90

$2.61 MX$45.43

70.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 €2.76

$1.44 MX$25.04

119.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 €2.91

$1.96 MX$34.16

69.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 €3.22

$2.09 MX$36.47

76.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.26

$1.85 MX$32.24

39.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 €1.18

$2.17 MX$37.74

-37.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 €2.12

$1.03 MX$17.96

133.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.07 MX$18.70

15.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.56

$4.10 MX$71.4

54.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 €7.17

$10.17 MX$177

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.68 MX$29.17

14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.96

$2.53 MX$43.98

-11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 €2.37

$0.51 MX$8.87

429.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 €4.96

$3.23 MX$56.3

75.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.13 €3.62

$2.41 MX$41.88

71.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.29 €43.17

$3.23 MX$56.2

1426.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.32 MX$23.00

14.39%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

29.61%

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

$37.8K €33.1K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

59.95%

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

$91.9 €80.4

$82.0 MX$1,428

12.00%

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

$28.86 €25.28

$22.95 MX$400

25.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.04 €40.32

$30.11 MX$524

52.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 €56.7

$52.0 MX$905

24.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 €20.43

$18.53 MX$323

25.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.60 €9.29

$4.98 MX$86.6

112.85%

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

$434 €380

$197 MX$3,438

119.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,538

$5,336 MX$92.9K

104.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €81.2

$35.60 MX$620

160.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.66 €33.86

$40.33 MX$702

-4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$78.8 MX$1,371

31.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €88.4

$88.9 MX$1,549

13.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €984

$947 MX$16.5K

18.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 €814

$474 MX$8,254

96.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 €1,756

$1,644 MX$28.6K

21.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 €1,322

$1,211 MX$21.1K

24.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,447 €3,894

$4,056 MX$70.6K

9.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,410 €2,111

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-62.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,542 €1,351

$654 MX$11.4K

135.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-73.73%

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

Last update for Mdina: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,124 in Mdina and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mdina pays 136% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $94.0 in Mdina vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Mdina and Playa del Carmen differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($2,017 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 136% higher in Mdina, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,124 in Mdina versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Mdina. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,017 per month in Mdina versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,017 in Mdina, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mdina. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mdina 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 61% less than in Mdina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.