Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,805 in Msida, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Msida
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Msida Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Msida

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,805

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,805 per month in Msida vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Msida $1,805
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,670 per month in Msida vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Msida $2,670
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,536 per month in Msida vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Msida $3,536
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Msida costs about 50% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Msida sits 33% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 €10.12

$10.92 MX$205

3.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 €44.88

$43.37 MX$815

15.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 €9.61

$11.78 MX$221

-9.00%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €2.03

$3.81 MX$71.6

-40.68%

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

$2.26 €2.02

$1.28 MX$24.10

76.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.99

$0.78 MX$14.71

41.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.12

$3.17 MX$59.5

45.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €3.09

$4.93 MX$92.7

-30.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.41 MX$26.43

-20.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 €1.21

$2.22 MX$41.66

-39.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 €4.00

$1.42 MX$26.64

214.08%

Eggs

$2.65 €2.37

$2.52 MX$47.41

5.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 €7.60

$7.26 MX$137

16.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.44 €9.35

$7.70 MX$145

35.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.08 €16.20

$12.69 MX$239

42.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 €3.82

$2.78 MX$52.3

53.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 €2.54

$1.37 MX$25.71

107.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$2.55 MX$47.94

44.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.97

$2.12 MX$39.90

56.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.98

$1.94 MX$36.43

13.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.89 MX$35.44

0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 €2.10

$1.15 MX$21.55

104.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.18 MX$22.16

9.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.89

$4.30 MX$80.7

53.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 €7.24

$9.95 MX$187

-18.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.54

$1.58 MX$29.76

8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.67 MX$50.2

-10.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 €1.95

$0.55 MX$10.40

296.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 €4.88

$4.97 MX$93.4

9.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 €1.95

$3.33 MX$62.6

-34.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.80 €24.02

$5.36 MX$101

400.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.44 MX$27.14

3.47%

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

$37.1K €33.3K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

79.57%

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

$39.7K €35.6K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

69.09%

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

$84.8 €76.0

$84.8 MX$1,594

-0.01%

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

$25.53 €22.88

$23.41 MX$440

9.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.62 €24.75

$28.66 MX$539

-3.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €50.5

$57.1 MX$1,072

-1.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$9.96 €8.93

$5.14 MX$96.6

93.77%

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

$363 €325

$207 MX$3,882

75.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K €9,813

$3,927 MX$73.8K

178.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €77.1

$43.35 MX$815

98.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.84 €35.70

$41.44 MX$779

-3.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €88.1

$74.2 MX$1,394

32.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 €70.4

$89.3 MX$1,677

-11.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 €939

$980 MX$18.4K

6.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$917 €821

$381 MX$7,157

140.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 €1,634

$1,708 MX$32.1K

6.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,485 €1,330

$1,075 MX$20.2K

38.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,734 €2,450

$735 MX$13.8K

272.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

11.45

-74.67%

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

Last update for Msida: October 26, 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

Msida

$917 50.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 58.5% $536

Groceries & Markets

Msida

$320 17.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 20.3% $65

Eating Out

Msida

$193 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 4.8% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Msida

$138 7.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 0.8% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Msida

$136 7.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 18% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Msida

$76 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 11.7% $8.9

Getting Around

Msida

$25 * 1.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 102% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,048 in Msida 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 Msida are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Msida versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Msida

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

22:10 10:10 PM

6 h behind Msida

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Msida Playa del Carmen 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Msida
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

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

Yes – Msida is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,707 per month in Msida and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,048 in Msida and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,805 in Msida and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 33% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $363 per month in Msida and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Msida at $1,805. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Msida it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Msida makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.