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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,962 per month in Modena vs $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,141 per month in Modena vs $2,336 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,320 per month in Modena vs $3,341 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Modena costs about 48% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Modena sits 43% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.15 €19.80

$13.02 MX$221

77.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €78.0

$46.25 MX$784

97.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.52 €11.56

$12.59 MX$213

7.39%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.73

$4.00 MX$67.9

-49.50%

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

$3.06 €2.61

$1.42 MX$24.08

115.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.44

$0.81 MX$13.73

107.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.01 €6.00

$3.05 MX$51.7

129.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 €5.02

$6.82 MX$116

-13.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.71 MX$29.04

-12.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 €2.19

$2.22 MX$37.62

15.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.45

$1.72 MX$29.13

-1.16%

Eggs

$5.31 €4.54

$2.71 MX$45.99

95.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.10 €18.05

$9.37 MX$159

125.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.75 €12.62

$8.86 MX$150

66.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.40 €19.16

$12.78 MX$217

75.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.38

$3.13 MX$53.0

-11.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 €2.24

$1.55 MX$26.24

69.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 €2.81

$2.15 MX$36.51

53.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 €2.66

$2.35 MX$39.89

32.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.08

$2.02 MX$34.23

20.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.99 MX$33.67

-13.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.24 MX$21.09

19.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.62

$1.19 MX$20.21

-39.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.80

$4.65 MX$78.8

45.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 €8.16

$10.47 MX$177

-8.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.33

$1.58 MX$26.82

-1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.30

$2.92 MX$49.48

-7.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €1.97

$0.56 MX$9.53

310.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.30 €35.33

$29.76 MX$504

38.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 €5.78

$5.32 MX$90.2

27.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.30

$3.72 MX$63.0

-59.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.05 €29.12

$5.78 MX$97.9

489.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.71

$1.55 MX$26.27

29.03%

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

$37.3K €31.9K

$22.4K MX$379.1K

66.76%

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

$36.8K €31.5K

$25.6K MX$433.3K

43.93%

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

$198 €170

$89.3 MX$1,513

122.07%

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

$14.02 €11.99

$23.30 MX$395

-39.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.64 €27.06

$31.72 MX$538

-0.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 €69.5

$68.8 MX$1,165

18.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 €20.22

$29.40 MX$498

-19.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 €9.72

$5.06 MX$85.7

124.51%

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

$600 €513

$222 MX$3,765

169.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K €13.2K

$4,293 MX$72.7K

260.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €75.9

$46.21 MX$783

92.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.92 €37.57

$44.43 MX$753

-1.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.3

$95.5 MX$1,618

6.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €94.7

$92.5 MX$1,568

19.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 €740

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-19.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 €576

$393 MX$6,663

71.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 €1,470

$1,988 MX$33.7K

-13.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 €1,209

$1,304 MX$22.1K

8.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,707 €3,171

$4,037 MX$68.4K

-8.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,273 €1,944

$6,627 MX$112.3K

-65.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,169 €1,855

$747 MX$12.7K

190.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.29

11.6

-71.64%

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

Last update for Modena: August 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $865 in Modena versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 190% higher in Modena, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Modena versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $277 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Modena costs about 48% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,943 per month in Modena and $1,995 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Modena and $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,962 in Modena and $1,330 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,330, than in Modena at $1,962. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Modena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,330 versus $1,962 in Modena. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Modena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.