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: $2,148 in Moe versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,100 in Moe versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,053 in Moe versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Moe is roughly 69% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moe is 60% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.92 A$18.25

$11.87 MX$204

8.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.6 A$101

$42.90 MX$736

66.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 A$13.21

$10.65 MX$183

-12.21%

Cappuccino

$3.51 A$4.96

$3.45 MX$59.2

1.74%

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

$2.52 A$3.56

$1.50 MX$25.81

68.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 A$2.48

$0.95 MX$16.28

85.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.00 A$7.06

$3.03 MX$51.9

65.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.60

$4.61 MX$79.1

1.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 A$1.05

$1.38 MX$23.61

-46.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 A$3.72

$1.85 MX$31.70

42.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.30

$1.61 MX$27.65

44.72%

Eggs

$3.32 A$4.70

$2.59 MX$44.51

28.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 A$12.58

$8.26 MX$142

7.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.29 A$10.30

$8.37 MX$144

-12.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 A$20.36

$10.66 MX$183

35.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 A$3.74

$2.63 MX$45.12

0.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.58

$1.49 MX$25.53

70.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.94

$1.92 MX$32.94

45.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 A$5.77

$2.09 MX$35.81

95.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 A$2.67

$1.86 MX$31.88

1.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.28

$2.26 MX$38.81

2.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.12

$1.06 MX$18.23

108.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 A$1.87

$1.09 MX$18.67

21.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.21 A$41.27

$4.15 MX$71.2

603.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.55 A$17.74

$10.39 MX$178

20.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 A$4.66

$1.72 MX$29.59

91.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 A$4.67

$2.61 MX$44.85

26.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 A$3.75

$0.54 MX$9.30

390.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 A$92.9

$26.94 MX$462

144.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 A$3.12

$3.13 MX$53.7

-29.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 A$1.71

$2.51 MX$43.09

-51.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.68 A$32.04

$3.15 MX$54.1

620.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.60

$1.27 MX$21.88

-11.02%

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

$28.3K A$40.0K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-6.68%

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

$23.1K A$32.6K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-1.96%

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

$145 A$205

$83.0 MX$1,425

74.81%

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

$20.88 A$29.51

$22.71 MX$390

-8.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.89 A$70.5

$29.46 MX$506

69.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.19 A$69.5

$51.0 MX$875

-3.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.83 A$22.37

$18.33 MX$315

-13.64%

Cinema Ticket

$16.16 A$22.83

$4.93 MX$84.5

227.79%

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

$1,729 A$2,442

$197 MX$3,386

776.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$27.5K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

269.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 A$94.3

$36.90 MX$633

80.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 A$76.3

$39.89 MX$685

35.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$152

$80.0 MX$1,373

34.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$146

$89.5 MX$1,536

15.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,806

$956 MX$16.4K

33.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,520

$477 MX$8,189

125.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,055 A$2,904

$1,646 MX$28.3K

24.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 A$2,402

$1,225 MX$21.0K

38.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,217 A$8,784

$3,918 MX$67.2K

58.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 A$7,407

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-18.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,395 A$1,971

$667 MX$11.4K

109.20%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,278 in Moe and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Moe pays 109% 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: $72.0 in Moe vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $250 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 69% 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 109% 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: $1,278 in Moe versus $956 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 $72.0 in Moe. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,148 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 $1,271 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 69% less than in Moe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.