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: $1,687 in Melito di Porto Salvo versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,495 in Melito di Porto Salvo versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,304 in Melito di Porto Salvo versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Melito di Porto Salvo is roughly 34% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melito di Porto Salvo is 26% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.86 €12.14

$11.99 MX$209

15.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 €50.2

$41.78 MX$728

37.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.15

$10.75 MX$187

7.72%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.77

$3.50 MX$60.9

-42.29%

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

$2.19 €1.92

$1.45 MX$25.22

51.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.06

$0.88 MX$15.41

38.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €4.93

$2.95 MX$51.3

90.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.47

$4.51 MX$78.6

-12.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.24

$1.43 MX$24.94

-1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.84

$1.84 MX$31.99

14.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.57 MX$27.31

75.16%

Eggs

$3.38 €2.96

$2.51 MX$43.74

34.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.87 €13.02

$8.28 MX$144

79.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.56 €11.00

$8.43 MX$147

48.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.55 €15.37

$10.68 MX$186

64.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.44

$2.61 MX$45.43

6.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.06

$1.44 MX$25.04

63.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 €2.70

$1.96 MX$34.16

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.78

$2.09 MX$36.47

52.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.85 MX$32.24

-9.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.04

$2.17 MX$37.74

-45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.03 MX$17.96

78.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 €0.36

$1.07 MX$18.70

-61.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 €5.80

$4.10 MX$71.4

61.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.62 €6.68

$10.17 MX$177

-25.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.92

$1.68 MX$29.17

30.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.68

$2.53 MX$43.98

20.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 €1.54

$0.51 MX$8.87

243.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.14 €37.78

$26.04 MX$453

65.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 €4.01

$3.23 MX$56.3

41.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.33

$2.41 MX$41.88

-36.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.21 €41.35

$3.23 MX$56.2

1361.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.32 MX$23.00

52.27%

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

$35.1K €30.7K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

18.22%

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

$30.1K €26.3K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

27.01%

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

$234 €205

$82.0 MX$1,428

185.60%

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

$14.52 €12.72

$22.95 MX$400

-36.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.97 €25.38

$30.11 MX$524

-3.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €47.93

$52.0 MX$905

5.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.12 €20.25

$18.53 MX$323

24.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 €8.77

$4.98 MX$86.6

101.00%

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

$386 €338

$197 MX$3,438

95.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,366

$5,336 MX$92.9K

100.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$35.60 MX$620

151.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.68 €27.74

$40.33 MX$702

-21.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 €78.2

$78.8 MX$1,371

13.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €113

$88.9 MX$1,549

45.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 €655

$947 MX$16.5K

-21.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 €506

$474 MX$8,254

21.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,068

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-25.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 €822

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-22.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,318 €2,906

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-18.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,062 €1,806

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-68.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,202 €1,929

$654 MX$11.4K

236.77%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $748 in Melito di Porto Salvo and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melito di Porto Salvo pays 237% 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 $328 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,687 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 237% higher in Melito di Porto Salvo, 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: $748 in Melito di Porto Salvo versus $947 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 66% 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 $386 in Melito di Porto Salvo versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,687 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 34% less than in Melito di Porto Salvo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.