Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mosta and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,053 in Mosta, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mosta, Malta
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Mosta
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,053
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mosta 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 Mosta and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,053 per month in Mosta vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mosta $2,053
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,060 per month in Mosta vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mosta $3,060
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,067 per month in Mosta vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mosta $4,067
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Mosta costs about 71% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Mosta sits 51% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mosta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.64 €14.95
$10.92 MX$204
52.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.8 €79.8
$43.37 MX$808
104.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.53 €11.25
$11.78 MX$220
6.37%
Cappuccino
$2.45 €2.20
$3.81 MX$71.0
-35.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 €1.79
$1.28 MX$23.90
56.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 €0.99
$0.78 MX$14.59
41.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.86 €2.57
$3.17 MX$59.0
-9.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.15 €4.63
$4.93 MX$92.0
4.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mosta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.41 MX$26.22
-3.55%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.22 MX$41.33
-33.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.41 €3.06
$1.42 MX$26.42
140.14%
Eggs
$3.31 €2.97
$2.52 MX$47.03
31.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.15 €9.12
$7.26 MX$135
39.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.00 €10.78
$7.70 MX$143
55.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.20 €10.06
$12.69 MX$237
-11.74%
Apples (1kg)
$3.75 €3.37
$2.78 MX$51.9
34.89%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 €2.41
$1.37 MX$25.50
95.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 €1.78
$2.55 MX$47.55
-22.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.69 €3.31
$2.12 MX$39.58
74.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.94 MX$36.13
-15.46%
Onion (1kg)
$2.51 €2.26
$1.89 MX$35.16
32.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.28 €2.05
$1.15 MX$21.37
98.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 €0.56
$1.18 MX$21.98
-46.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.27 €5.63
$4.30 MX$80.1
45.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.93 €5.33
$9.95 MX$185
-40.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 €1.13
$1.58 MX$29.52
-20.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.04
$2.67 MX$49.79
-14.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Mosta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.76 €2.48
$0.55 MX$10.31
401.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$496
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.79 €3.41
$4.97 MX$92.6
-23.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.81 €1.62
$3.33 MX$62.1
-45.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.01 €25.16
$5.36 MX$99.8
422.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 €1.33
$1.44 MX$26.92
2.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K €24.7K
$20.7K MX$385.2K
33.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.2K €34.4K
$23.5K MX$437.4K
62.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mosta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 €105
$84.8 MX$1,581
37.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.41 €21.93
$23.41 MX$436
4.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.77 €26.74
$28.66 MX$534
3.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mosta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.7 €66.2
$57.1 MX$1,063
29.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.60 €30.18
$28.91 MX$539
16.22%
Cinema Ticket
$11.24 €10.10
$5.14 MX$95.8
118.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mosta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$272 €244
$207 MX$3,851
31.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.4K €11.2K
$3,927 MX$73.2K
216.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mosta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 €51.8
$43.35 MX$808
32.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$68.5 €61.6
$41.44 MX$772
65.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 €102
$74.2 MX$1,383
53.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €115
$89.3 MX$1,664
43.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mosta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,248 €1,121
$980 MX$18.3K
27.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,070 €961
$381 MX$7,099
181.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,947 €1,749
$1,708 MX$31.8K
14.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,450
$1,075 MX$20.0K
50.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,158 MX$114.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mosta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,784 €1,603
$735 MX$13.7K
142.89%
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 Mosta: 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
Mosta
$1.1K
Playa del Carmen
$381 64.4% $689
Groceries & Markets
Mosta
$290
Playa del Carmen
$255 12% $35
Eating Out
Mosta
$237
Playa del Carmen
$202 14.6% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mosta
$171
Playa del Carmen
$137 19.9% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Mosta
$166
Playa del Carmen
$112 32.5% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Mosta
$96
Playa del Carmen
$67 30% $29
Getting Around
Mosta
$24 *
Playa del Carmen
$50 111% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,248 in Mosta 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 in Mosta are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Mosta versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Mosta
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
02:21 2:21 AM
20:21 8:21 PM
6 h behind Mosta
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
20,241
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mosta Playa del Carmen 9,650 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mosta
  • 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
Mosta vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mosta and in Playa del Carmen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,053 in Mosta, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Mosta compared to Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,080 per month in Mosta and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mosta and Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,248 in Mosta.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Mosta and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 14% more in Mosta, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Mosta at $2,053. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mosta it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Mosta or Playa del Carmen?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Mosta and Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mosta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Mosta vs other spots: cost of living compared

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