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: $666 in Meknes versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $980 in Meknes versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,293 in Meknes versus $2,980 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 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.16 MAD 19.95

$11.87 MX$204

-81.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.73 MAD 118

$42.90 MX$736

-70.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 MAD 49.94

$10.65 MX$183

-49.30%

Cappuccino

$1.33 MAD 12.28

$3.45 MX$59.2

-61.45%

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

$0.69 MAD 6.42

$1.50 MX$25.81

-54.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MAD 4.07

$0.95 MX$16.28

-53.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MAD 30.17

$3.03 MX$51.9

7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 MAD 38.25

$4.61 MX$79.1

-10.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 MAD 7.95

$1.38 MX$23.61

-37.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.32 MAD 2.93

$1.85 MX$31.70

-82.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MAD 11.54

$1.61 MX$27.65

-22.36%

Eggs

$1.99 MAD 18.45

$2.59 MX$44.51

-23.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.90 MAD 101

$8.26 MX$142

31.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 MAD 41.52

$8.37 MX$144

-46.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 MAD 85.1

$10.66 MX$183

-13.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 MAD 12.35

$2.63 MX$45.12

-49.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 MAD 11.47

$1.49 MX$25.53

-16.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 MAD 8.55

$1.92 MX$32.94

-52.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 6.67

$2.09 MX$35.81

-65.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 6.70

$1.86 MX$31.88

-61.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 6.86

$2.26 MX$38.81

-67.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 MAD 3.91

$1.06 MX$18.23

-60.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.45

$1.09 MX$18.67

-45.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MAD 40.55

$4.15 MX$71.2

5.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.51 MAD 106

$10.39 MX$178

10.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 MAD 26.38

$1.72 MX$29.59

65.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MAD 25.65

$2.61 MX$44.85

6.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 MAD 3.92

$0.54 MX$9.30

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.56 MAD 153

$26.94 MX$462

-38.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 MAD 3.61

$3.13 MX$53.7

-87.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MAD 4.40

$2.51 MX$43.09

-80.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.27 MAD 39.53

$3.15 MX$54.1

35.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MAD 13.74

$1.27 MX$21.88

16.54%

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

$37.7K MAD 348.6K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

24.06%

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

$28.3K MAD 262.2K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

20.27%

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

$37.11 MAD 343

$83.0 MX$1,425

-55.29%

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

$10.79 MAD 99.8

$22.71 MX$390

-52.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.11 MAD 306

$29.46 MX$506

12.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.20 MAD 224

$51.0 MX$875

-52.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 MAD 178

$18.33 MX$315

5.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 MAD 40.70

$4.93 MX$84.5

-10.75%

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

$151 MAD 1,399

$197 MX$3,386

-23.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,629 MAD 15.1K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-69.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.80 MAD 414

$36.90 MX$633

21.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.23 MAD 372

$39.89 MX$685

0.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.6 MAD 532

$80.0 MX$1,373

-28.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.0 MAD 508

$89.5 MX$1,536

-38.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 MAD 2,507

$956 MX$16.4K

-71.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 MAD 1,620

$477 MX$8,189

-63.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 MAD 3,916

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-74.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 MAD 2,645

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-76.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$934 MAD 8,638

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-76.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$633 MAD 5,858

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-90.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$506 MAD 4,679

$667 MX$11.4K

-24.17%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $271 in Meknes and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 32% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $250 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 91% 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 32% 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: $271 in Meknes versus $956 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 $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 $666 per month in Meknes versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $666 in Meknes versus $1,271 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 $666 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 91% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.