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: $2,051 in Mdina versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,130 in Mdina versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,209 in Mdina versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mdina is roughly 59% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mdina is 49% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 €17.33

$11.71 MX$198

72.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €78.3

$46.59 MX$788

95.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$11.65 MX$197

21.29%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$4.09 MX$69.2

-31.78%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$1.37 MX$23.23

135.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$0.83 MX$14.09

183.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 €3.97

$3.35 MX$56.7

37.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 €4.52

$6.91 MX$117

-24.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.73 MX$29.20

-19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.26 MX$38.21

-39.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 €3.89

$1.77 MX$29.91

155.37%

Eggs

$4.50 €3.87

$2.73 MX$46.19

64.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 €7.50

$9.18 MX$155

-5.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.89 €9.36

$8.92 MX$151

22.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.99 €16.33

$12.60 MX$213

50.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 €3.80

$3.02 MX$51.1

46.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 €2.51

$1.57 MX$26.55

85.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 €3.18

$2.13 MX$35.93

73.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 €3.04

$2.26 MX$38.28

56.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.00 MX$33.88

32.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.06 MX$34.90

-1.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 €2.13

$1.18 MX$19.94

110.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.20 MX$20.35

10.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.95 €5.97

$4.63 MX$78.4

50.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 €7.30

$10.69 MX$181

-20.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.62 MX$27.38

12.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.88 MX$48.70

-14.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.57 MX$9.69

317.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 €5.02

$5.45 MX$92.1

7.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €1.98

$3.70 MX$62.6

-37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.63 €23.76

$5.98 MX$101

362.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.55 MX$26.26

-1.94%

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

$38.9K €33.4K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

74.21%

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

$39.9K €34.3K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

53.82%

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

$108 €92.5

$89.1 MX$1,507

20.68%

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

$26.82 €23.06

$25.04 MX$423

7.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.41 €38.18

$31.50 MX$532

40.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 €55.7

$67.8 MX$1,146

-4.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$10.54 €9.06

$5.05 MX$85.4

108.71%

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

$378 €325

$225 MX$3,803

67.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.0K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

176.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 €79.2

$47.44 MX$802

94.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.89 €36.87

$44.98 MX$760

-4.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.3

$82.0 MX$1,386

26.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 €69.8

$92.1 MX$1,557

-11.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 €929

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 €871

$405 MX$6,852

149.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 €1,355

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-18.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 €1,257

$1,301 MX$22.0K

12.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,468 €2,981

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-13.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,639 €2,269

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-60.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,548 €1,331

$749 MX$12.7K

106.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

11.45

-74.67%

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

Last update for Mdina: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,081 in Mdina and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mdina pays 107% 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: $91.0 in Mdina vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $277 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 59% in total monthly costs ($2,051 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 107% 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: $1,081 in Mdina versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Mdina. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,051 per month in Mdina versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,051 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 59% less than in Mdina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.