Cost of Living Comparison Between Melito di Porto Salvo and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Melito di Porto Salvo and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,706 in Melito di Porto Salvo versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,514 in Melito di Porto Salvo versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,321 in Melito di Porto Salvo versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Melito di Porto Salvo is roughly 32% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melito di Porto Salvo is 27% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.14 €12.17

$11.73 MX$203

20.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 €49.32

$41.62 MX$719

37.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.11

$10.64 MX$184

10.34%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.80

$3.52 MX$60.8

-40.34%

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

$2.19 €1.89

$1.51 MX$26.09

45.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$0.97 MX$16.82

24.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.80 €5.00

$2.95 MX$51.0

96.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 €3.59

$4.45 MX$77.0

-6.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.38 MX$23.90

7.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.89 MX$32.69

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.40

$1.64 MX$28.29

70.12%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.97

$2.51 MX$43.30

37.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.49 €12.47

$8.34 MX$144

73.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.69 €10.92

$8.34 MX$144

52.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$10.73 MX$185

66.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.60 MX$45.00

9.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.46 MX$25.18

55.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 €2.64

$1.90 MX$32.84

61.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 €2.63

$2.08 MX$35.88

46.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.78 MX$30.68

-3.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.03

$2.19 MX$37.76

-45.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.04 MX$17.97

85.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 €0.36

$1.08 MX$18.60

-61.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 €5.56

$4.08 MX$70.5

58.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.80 €6.72

$10.32 MX$178

-24.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.71 MX$29.59

32.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.66

$2.58 MX$44.50

19.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.53

$0.51 MX$8.81

247.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.92 €36.95

$26.46 MX$457

62.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 €4.00

$3.26 MX$56.4

42.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.49 MX$43.05

-39.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.85 €39.47

$3.25 MX$56.1

1310.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.31 MX$22.59

52.67%

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

$34.8K €29.9K

$30.3K MX$523.2K

14.88%

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

$30.7K €26.4K

$23.4K MX$404.9K

30.88%

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

$232 €200

$82.9 MX$1,432

180.43%

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

$14.52 €12.50

$22.22 MX$384

-34.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 €25.53

$29.34 MX$507

1.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 €46.74

$51.6 MX$892

5.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.02 €19.82

$18.32 MX$317

25.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 €8.59

$5.07 MX$87.5

96.84%

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

$393 €338

$201 MX$3,470

95.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,170

$5,212 MX$90.1K

104.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €76.0

$36.92 MX$638

139.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.92 €26.62

$39.79 MX$688

-22.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 €78.0

$78.5 MX$1,356

15.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$87.1 MX$1,505

46.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 €646

$973 MX$16.8K

-22.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 €507

$468 MX$8,082

26.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,052

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-25.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 €805

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-23.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,896 €2,493

$3,946 MX$68.2K

-26.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 €1,838

$6,498 MX$112.3K

-67.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,201 €1,895

$664 MX$11.5K

231.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

11.42

-58.67%

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

Last update for Melito di Porto Salvo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Melito di Porto Salvo and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melito di Porto Salvo pays 232% 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: $57.0 in Melito di Porto Salvo vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $249 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

Melito di Porto Salvo vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melito di Porto Salvo and Playa del Carmen differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,706 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melito di Porto Salvo pays 232% more on average, 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: $750 in Melito di Porto Salvo versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 62% less than in Melito di Porto Salvo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $393 in Melito di Porto Salvo versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,706 in Melito di Porto Salvo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Melito di Porto Salvo. 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Melito di Porto Salvo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.