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: $731 in Meknes versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,128 in Meknes versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,525 in Meknes versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Meknes costs roughly 42% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Meknes 47% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.25 MAD 30.81

$11.60 MX$200

-71.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.66 MAD 149

$47.11 MX$812

-66.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.38 MAD 60.6

$11.88 MX$205

-46.30%

Cappuccino

$1.25 MAD 11.89

$3.98 MX$68.6

-68.59%

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

$0.91 MAD 8.62

$1.43 MX$24.60

-36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MAD 4.00

$0.82 MX$14.22

-48.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MAD 29.36

$3.19 MX$55.0

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MAD 34.89

$6.79 MX$117

-45.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 MAD 7.97

$1.68 MX$28.89

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.40 MAD 3.77

$2.20 MX$37.88

-81.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 MAD 11.90

$1.71 MX$29.45

-26.32%

Eggs

$1.86 MAD 17.68

$2.74 MX$47.26

-32.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.28 MAD 145

$9.58 MX$165

59.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 MAD 50.2

$9.01 MX$155

-41.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 MAD 91.9

$12.81 MX$221

-24.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 MAD 12.40

$2.89 MX$49.81

-54.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 MAD 11.68

$1.50 MX$25.81

-18.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.67 MAD 6.33

$2.15 MX$37.03

-68.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 MAD 5.66

$2.26 MX$38.96

-73.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 MAD 5.32

$1.98 MX$34.15

-71.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.59

$1.99 MX$34.30

-59.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 MAD 4.50

$1.23 MX$21.28

-61.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MAD 5.53

$1.20 MX$20.63

-51.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MAD 39.30

$4.55 MX$78.5

-9.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 MAD 103

$10.37 MX$179

4.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 MAD 31.59

$1.62 MX$27.91

105.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MAD 25.21

$2.88 MX$49.67

-7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 MAD 4.13

$0.60 MX$10.35

-28.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.13 MAD 153

$28.80 MX$497

-43.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 MAD 6.91

$5.39 MX$92.9

-86.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MAD 5.15

$3.73 MX$64.3

-85.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MAD 13.55

$1.54 MX$26.48

-7.14%

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

$34.8K MAD 330.4K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

54.51%

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

$31.2K MAD 296.0K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

19.79%

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

$31.36 MAD 297

$91.4 MX$1,576

-65.68%

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

$9.65 MAD 91.5

$25.20 MX$435

-61.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.69 MAD 329

$31.24 MX$539

11.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.45 MAD 279

$67.2 MX$1,159

-56.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 MAD 323

$29.11 MX$502

16.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 MAD 39.35

$4.86 MX$83.8

-14.61%

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

$127 MAD 1,201

$224 MX$3,856

-43.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 MAD 637

$47.10 MX$812

42.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 MAD 609

$44.29 MX$764

45.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MAD 982

$80.1 MX$1,381

29.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.3 MAD 638

$92.7 MX$1,598

-27.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 MAD 2,616

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-74.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 MAD 1,676

$390 MX$6,728

-54.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 MAD 4,490

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-77.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 MAD 2,794

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-76.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$982 MAD 9,308

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-75.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$631 MAD 5,988

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-90.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$479 MAD 4,543

$758 MX$13.1K

-36.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.45

-60.70%

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

Last update for Meknes: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $276 in Meknes and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 58% 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: $16.00 in Meknes vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $276 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 73% 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 58% 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: $276 in Meknes versus $1,063 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 $16.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $731 per month in Meknes versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $731 in Meknes versus $1,266 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 $731 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 73% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.