Cost of Living Comparison Between Mellieha and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Mellieha and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,975 in Mellieha versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,962 in Mellieha versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,949 in Mellieha versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mellieha is roughly 53% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mellieha is 44% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.51 €15.05

$11.71 MX$198

49.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €58.3

$46.59 MX$788

45.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 €9.67

$11.65 MX$197

-3.43%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$4.09 MX$69.2

-31.78%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$1.37 MX$23.23

83.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.83 MX$14.09

146.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.09 €3.51

$3.35 MX$56.7

22.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 €5.98

$6.91 MX$117

0.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.73 MX$29.20

-19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 €1.21

$2.26 MX$38.21

-38.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 €3.06

$1.77 MX$29.91

101.13%

Eggs

$4.44 €3.82

$2.73 MX$46.19

62.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.94 €9.41

$9.18 MX$155

19.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.27 €8.83

$8.92 MX$151

15.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 €15.98

$12.60 MX$213

47.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 €3.41

$3.02 MX$51.1

31.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$1.57 MX$26.55

85.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 €3.39

$2.13 MX$35.93

85.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 €3.25

$2.26 MX$38.28

66.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.00 MX$33.88

-3.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 €3.07

$2.06 MX$34.90

73.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.18 MX$19.94

44.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.20 MX$20.35

-5.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 €5.50

$4.63 MX$78.4

38.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.34 €5.45

$10.69 MX$181

-40.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.17

$1.62 MX$27.38

55.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.13

$2.88 MX$48.70

-13.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 €2.46

$0.57 MX$9.69

401.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 €3.51

$5.45 MX$92.1

-24.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 €1.63

$3.70 MX$62.6

-48.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.75 €29.02

$5.98 MX$101

464.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.55 MX$26.26

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

$28.9K €24.8K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

29.26%

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

$39.9K €34.3K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

53.58%

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

$111 €95.1

$89.1 MX$1,507

24.11%

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

$31.35 €26.95

$25.04 MX$423

25.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.04 €25.82

$31.50 MX$532

-4.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 €48.91

$67.8 MX$1,146

-16.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$8.55 €7.35

$5.05 MX$85.4

69.31%

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

$287 €247

$225 MX$3,803

27.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €10.8K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

197.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 €65.9

$47.44 MX$802

61.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.34 €35.54

$44.98 MX$760

-8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 €75.5

$82.0 MX$1,386

7.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.6 €65.0

$92.1 MX$1,557

-17.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 €994

$1,069 MX$18.1K

8.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 €842

$405 MX$6,852

141.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 €1,600

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-3.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,322

$1,301 MX$22.0K

18.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,932 €3,381

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-1.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,879 €2,475

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-56.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,375 €1,182

$749 MX$12.7K

83.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

11.45

-64.63%

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

Last update for Mellieha: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,156 in Mellieha and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mellieha pays 84% 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: $68.0 in Mellieha vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $277 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

Mellieha vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 84% higher in Mellieha, 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: $1,156 in Mellieha versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $287 in Mellieha versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $68.0 in Mellieha. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,975 in Mellieha, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mellieha. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mellieha, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mellieha 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Mellieha. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.