Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moka and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Moka: $926 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Moka

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$926

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moka and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Moka and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $926 per month in Moka vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Moka $926
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,538 per month in Moka vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Moka $1,538
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,149 per month in Moka vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Moka $2,149
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Moka is about 23% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Moka and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Moka 32% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.28 MUR 296

$10.92 MX$205

-42.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.16 MUR 1,280

$43.37 MX$814

-37.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 MUR 316

$11.78 MX$221

-43.21%

Cappuccino

$4.19 MUR 197

$3.81 MX$71.5

9.97%

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

$1.08 MUR 50.8

$1.28 MX$24.07

-15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MUR 14.39

$0.78 MX$14.70

-60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MUR 122

$3.17 MX$59.5

-18.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MUR 148

$4.93 MX$92.7

-36.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MUR 81.4

$1.41 MX$26.40

22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 MUR 36.15

$2.22 MX$41.62

-65.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MUR 78.6

$1.42 MX$26.61

17.61%

Eggs

$3.04 MUR 143

$2.52 MX$47.36

20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 MUR 495

$7.70 MX$144

36.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.71 MUR 693

$12.69 MX$238

15.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MUR 137

$2.78 MX$52.3

4.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MUR 78.7

$1.37 MX$25.68

21.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 MUR 197

$2.55 MX$47.89

63.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 MUR 201

$2.12 MX$39.86

101.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 MUR 50.9

$1.94 MX$36.39

-44.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 MUR 48.98

$1.89 MX$35.41

-44.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 MUR 38.85

$1.15 MX$21.53

-28.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MUR 33.30

$1.18 MX$22.13

-39.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.11 MUR 335

$4.30 MX$80.6

65.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.64 MUR 690

$9.95 MX$187

47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MUR 126

$1.58 MX$29.73

68.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MUR 146

$2.67 MX$50.1

16.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MUR 73.9

$1.44 MX$27.11

9.03%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

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

$4.26 MUR 201

$23.41 MX$439

-81.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.14 MUR 997

$28.66 MX$538

-26.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.46 MUR 1,012

$57.1 MX$1,071

-62.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MUR 302

$5.14 MX$96.5

24.51%

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

$108 MUR 5,072

$207 MX$3,878

-47.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 MUR 2,878

$43.35 MX$814

40.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.40 MUR 1,480

$41.44 MX$778

-24.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MUR 5,412

$74.2 MX$1,393

54.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 MUR 3,983

$89.3 MX$1,676

-5.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 MUR 24.7K

$980 MX$18.4K

-46.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 MUR 15.1K

$381 MX$7,150

-15.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 MUR 43.2K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-46.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 MUR 33.8K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-33.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 MUR 50.1K

$735 MX$13.8K

44.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-47.60%

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

Last update for Moka: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Moka

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Moka

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Moka

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moka

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Moka

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Moka

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Moka

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $524 in Moka versus $980 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 45% higher in Moka, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Moka versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Moka vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇺 Moka

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

18:15 6:15 PM

9 h behind Moka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,364

149,923

💱 Currency

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.9 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MUR – Mauritian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇺 Mauritian Rupee (₨)

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 47.13 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.62 MUR (100 MUR = 1.9 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to MUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Moka Playa del Carmen 16,330 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Moka
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,390 per month in Moka and $1,806 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 Moka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $524 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $926 in Moka and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Moka about 23% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $108 per month in Moka and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Moka – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.