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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,160 in Moe versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,111 in Moe versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,061 in Moe versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Moe is roughly 68% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moe is 61% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.94 A$18.12

$11.94 MX$209

8.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 A$98.6

$42.75 MX$748

64.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 A$12.55

$10.59 MX$185

-15.39%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$4.98

$3.62 MX$63.4

-1.66%

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

$2.51 A$3.51

$1.47 MX$25.69

70.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 A$2.45

$0.94 MX$16.51

86.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 A$7.01

$3.09 MX$54.1

62.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 A$6.33

$4.46 MX$78.0

1.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 A$0.98

$1.43 MX$24.94

-51.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.61

$1.88 MX$32.97

37.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 A$3.18

$1.63 MX$28.50

39.26%

Eggs

$3.18 A$4.45

$2.64 MX$46.26

20.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 A$12.87

$8.21 MX$144

12.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 A$10.18

$8.29 MX$145

-12.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.65 A$20.51

$11.10 MX$194

31.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 A$3.67

$2.65 MX$46.40

-1.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.73

$1.50 MX$26.26

78.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.84

$1.99 MX$34.79

37.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 A$5.64

$2.08 MX$36.33

93.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 A$2.64

$1.79 MX$31.29

5.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.29

$2.18 MX$38.09

7.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 A$2.99

$1.08 MX$18.84

97.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 A$1.85

$1.04 MX$18.15

26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.34 A$41.07

$3.97 MX$69.5

639.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 A$18.13

$10.20 MX$179

26.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 A$4.47

$1.73 MX$30.22

84.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 A$4.63

$2.50 MX$43.71

32.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 A$3.55

$0.52 MX$9.07

386.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 A$91.9

$26.97 MX$472

143.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 A$3.06

$3.14 MX$55.0

-30.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 A$1.77

$2.40 MX$42.04

-47.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.12 A$32.36

$3.09 MX$54.0

648.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.64

$1.27 MX$22.28

-7.87%

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

$28.3K A$39.7K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-8.23%

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

$23.5K A$32.9K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

0.85%

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

$142 A$198

$82.0 MX$1,435

72.77%

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

$20.79 A$29.10

$22.45 MX$393

-7.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 A$71.8

$29.66 MX$519

72.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 A$68.0

$51.9 MX$908

-6.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.66 A$21.93

$18.67 MX$327

-16.12%

Cinema Ticket

$15.98 A$22.37

$4.97 MX$87.0

221.53%

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

$1,751 A$2,451

$198 MX$3,462

785.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K A$27.5K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

272.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 A$95.4

$36.34 MX$636

87.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 A$74.0

$40.05 MX$701

31.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$147

$79.9 MX$1,398

31.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$148

$88.9 MX$1,555

19.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 A$1,791

$963 MX$16.9K

32.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 A$1,521

$465 MX$8,133

133.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,033 A$2,846

$1,596 MX$27.9K

27.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 A$2,376

$1,209 MX$21.2K

40.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,990 A$8,386

$3,942 MX$69.0K

51.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,087 A$7,121

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-21.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,435 A$2,009

$720 MX$12.6K

99.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

11.42

-45.80%

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

Last update for Moe: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,279 in Moe and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moe pays 99% 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: $70.0 in Moe vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $251 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Moe. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Moe pays 99% 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: $1,279 in Moe versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Moe. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $70.0 in Moe. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,160 in Moe, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Moe. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,287 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Moe 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 68% less than in Moe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.