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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $647 in Meknes versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $986 in Meknes versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,324 in Meknes versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Meknes costs roughly 49% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Meknes 51% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.25 MAD 20.97

$11.72 MX$203

-80.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.70 MAD 118

$41.89 MX$725

-69.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 MAD 49.91

$10.51 MX$182

-49.10%

Cappuccino

$1.31 MAD 12.18

$3.59 MX$62.0

-63.51%

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

$0.75 MAD 6.97

$1.51 MX$26.10

-50.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 MAD 4.45

$0.92 MX$15.83

-47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 MAD 31.44

$2.96 MX$51.2

13.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 MAD 38.05

$4.41 MX$76.3

-7.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 MAD 7.53

$1.40 MX$24.16

-42.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.32 MAD 2.96

$1.88 MX$32.60

-82.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 MAD 12.09

$1.56 MX$26.97

-16.67%

Eggs

$1.91 MAD 17.85

$2.61 MX$45.14

-26.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 MAD 102

$8.32 MX$144

31.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 MAD 42.02

$8.35 MX$145

-45.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 MAD 88.1

$10.86 MX$188

-12.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 MAD 12.85

$2.71 MX$46.93

-49.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 MAD 11.66

$1.51 MX$26.04

-17.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 MAD 8.42

$1.87 MX$32.41

-51.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 MAD 6.14

$2.19 MX$37.89

-69.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 6.69

$1.86 MX$32.14

-61.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 MAD 7.05

$2.23 MX$38.59

-65.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 MAD 4.30

$1.07 MX$18.48

-57.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MAD 5.34

$1.09 MX$18.79

-47.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MAD 40.88

$4.19 MX$72.4

4.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 MAD 105

$10.43 MX$180

7.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 MAD 26.32

$1.66 MX$28.68

69.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MAD 24.82

$2.61 MX$45.19

1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 MAD 4.25

$0.54 MX$9.37

-14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.53 MAD 154

$26.16 MX$453

-36.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 MAD 3.66

$3.08 MX$53.3

-87.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MAD 4.86

$2.40 MX$41.61

-78.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 MAD 41.52

$3.13 MX$54.1

42.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MAD 13.87

$1.31 MX$22.69

13.74%

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

$36.8K MAD 342.8K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

23.33%

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

$29.0K MAD 270.7K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

24.49%

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

$37.82 MAD 353

$81.3 MX$1,406

-53.47%

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

$10.76 MAD 100

$22.56 MX$390

-52.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.00 MAD 317

$30.05 MX$520

13.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.36 MAD 227

$52.9 MX$915

-53.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 MAD 180

$18.39 MX$318

5.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 MAD 41.23

$4.92 MX$85.1

-10.16%

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

$154 MAD 1,434

$201 MX$3,474

-23.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,668 MAD 15.6K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-67.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.92 MAD 428

$35.92 MX$622

27.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.74 MAD 380

$40.13 MX$694

1.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.6 MAD 528

$79.7 MX$1,379

-28.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.3 MAD 506

$86.5 MX$1,496

-37.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 MAD 2,515

$978 MX$16.9K

-72.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 MAD 1,578

$470 MX$8,140

-64.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$420 MAD 3,913

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-74.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 MAD 2,589

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-76.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$981 MAD 9,144

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-75.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$612 MAD 5,702

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-90.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$485 MAD 4,524

$677 MX$11.7K

-28.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.42

-60.60%

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

Last update for Meknes: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Meknes and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 39% 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: $13.00 in Meknes vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $252 per month, with Meknes 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

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

Meknes wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Meknes the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 39% 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: $270 in Meknes versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Meknes – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $647 per month in Meknes versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $647 in Meknes versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Meknes but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Meknes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Meknes delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $647 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Meknes hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Meknes 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 Meknes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.