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: $670 in Meknes versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $984 in Meknes versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,298 in Meknes versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Meknes costs roughly 48% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Meknes 50% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.20 MAD 20.35

$11.94 MX$209

-81.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.47 MAD 115

$42.75 MX$748

-70.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 MAD 49.91

$10.59 MX$185

-49.01%

Cappuccino

$1.27 MAD 11.76

$3.62 MX$63.4

-64.92%

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

$0.69 MAD 6.38

$1.47 MX$25.69

-53.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MAD 4.14

$0.94 MX$16.51

-52.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MAD 29.86

$3.09 MX$54.1

4.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MAD 38.81

$4.46 MX$78.0

-5.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 MAD 8.01

$1.43 MX$24.94

-39.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.35 MAD 3.20

$1.88 MX$32.97

-81.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 MAD 11.64

$1.63 MX$28.50

-22.70%

Eggs

$1.91 MAD 17.67

$2.64 MX$46.26

-27.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 MAD 101

$8.21 MX$144

32.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 MAD 40.42

$8.29 MX$145

-47.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.33 MAD 86.3

$11.10 MX$194

-15.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 MAD 12.66

$2.65 MX$46.40

-48.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 MAD 11.07

$1.50 MX$26.26

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 MAD 8.59

$1.99 MX$34.79

-53.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 MAD 6.17

$2.08 MX$36.33

-67.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 MAD 6.77

$1.79 MX$31.29

-59.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 6.83

$2.18 MX$38.09

-66.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 MAD 3.94

$1.08 MX$18.84

-60.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MAD 5.77

$1.04 MX$18.15

-40.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MAD 40.31

$3.97 MX$69.5

9.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 MAD 107

$10.20 MX$179

13.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 MAD 26.76

$1.73 MX$30.22

67.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MAD 24.72

$2.50 MX$43.71

6.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 MAD 4.19

$0.52 MX$9.07

-13.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.32 MAD 151

$26.97 MX$472

-39.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 MAD 3.69

$3.14 MX$55.0

-87.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MAD 4.48

$2.40 MX$42.04

-80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 MAD 41.61

$3.09 MX$54.0

45.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MAD 14.18

$1.27 MX$22.28

20.47%

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

$37.0K MAD 341.9K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

19.69%

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

$28.5K MAD 263.8K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

22.31%

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

$37.31 MAD 345

$82.0 MX$1,435

-54.51%

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

$10.72 MAD 99.1

$22.45 MX$393

-52.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.14 MAD 307

$29.66 MX$519

11.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.93 MAD 231

$51.9 MX$908

-51.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 MAD 178

$18.67 MX$327

3.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 MAD 40.51

$4.97 MX$87.0

-11.87%

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

$150 MAD 1,384

$198 MX$3,462

-24.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,643 MAD 15.2K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

-68.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 MAD 428

$36.34 MX$636

27.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.60 MAD 366

$40.05 MX$701

-1.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.2 MAD 529

$79.9 MX$1,398

-28.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.1 MAD 500

$88.9 MX$1,555

-39.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 MAD 2,532

$963 MX$16.9K

-71.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 MAD 1,579

$465 MX$8,133

-63.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 MAD 3,845

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-73.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 MAD 2,638

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-76.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$954 MAD 8,824

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-75.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$646 MAD 5,976

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-89.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$497 MAD 4,593

$720 MX$12.6K

-31.08%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Meknes and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 45% 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: $12.00 in Meknes vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $251 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 92% 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, Playa del Carmen earns 45% less. 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: $274 in Meknes versus $963 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 $12.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $670 per month in Meknes versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $670 in Meknes versus $1,287 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 $670 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 92% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.