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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,685 per month in Mosta vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,538 per month in Mosta vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,390 per month in Mosta vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mosta costs about 30% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mosta sits 26% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.71

$11.73 MX$203

45.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €59.9

$41.62 MX$720

67.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.11

$10.64 MX$184

10.53%

Cappuccino

$2.53 €2.18

$3.52 MX$60.9

-28.13%

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

$1.77 €1.52

$1.51 MX$26.12

17.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.90

$0.97 MX$16.84

8.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.95 MX$51.0

-4.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 €3.62

$4.45 MX$77.0

-5.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.38 MX$23.93

-7.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.89 MX$32.72

-25.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 €3.04

$1.64 MX$28.32

115.24%

Eggs

$2.74 €2.35

$2.51 MX$43.34

9.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 €7.15

$8.34 MX$144

-0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.99 €4.29

$8.34 MX$144

-40.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 €8.84

$10.73 MX$186

-4.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$2.60 MX$45.04

-6.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.46 MX$25.20

1.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.90 MX$32.87

-7.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.08 MX$35.91

11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.78 MX$30.71

-21.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.19 MX$37.80

24.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.04 MX$17.99

78.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.65

$1.08 MX$18.62

-29.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.64

$4.08 MX$70.6

60.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 €5.23

$10.32 MX$178

-41.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.71 MX$29.61

-32.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.58 MX$44.54

-47.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.53

$0.51 MX$8.81

476.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 €3.58

$3.26 MX$56.4

27.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 €1.64

$2.49 MX$43.09

-23.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.86 €24.83

$3.25 MX$56.2

788.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.31 MX$22.61

15.27%

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

$26.0K €22.4K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-14.18%

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

$40.5K €34.9K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

72.97%

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

$88.3 €76.0

$82.9 MX$1,433

6.54%

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

$22.93 €19.72

$22.22 MX$384

3.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.77 €28.18

$29.34 MX$507

11.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 €58.5

$51.6 MX$893

31.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.65 €7.44

$18.32 MX$317

-52.78%

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 €11.87

$5.07 MX$87.6

171.99%

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

$267 €229

$201 MX$3,473

32.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €9,789

$5,212 MX$90.1K

118.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 €65.7

$36.92 MX$639

107.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.62 €32.36

$39.79 MX$688

-5.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.2

$78.5 MX$1,357

36.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 €71.7

$87.1 MX$1,506

-4.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 €816

$973 MX$16.8K

-2.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 €709

$468 MX$8,090

76.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$1,641 MX$28.4K

1.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 €1,183

$1,221 MX$21.1K

12.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,840 €1,583

$664 MX$11.5K

177.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.62

11.42

-59.54%

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

Last update for Mosta: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $949 in Mosta versus $973 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 177% higher in Mosta, 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 $70.0 in Mosta versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $219 in Mosta vs $249 in Playa del Carmen – so Mosta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,685 in Mosta, $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 30% apart. Mosta costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,528 per month in Mosta and $1,945 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 $70.0 in Mosta and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Mosta – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Mosta at $1,685. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mosta it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,297 in Playa del Carmen to $1,685 in Mosta. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Mosta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.