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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $482 in Ambatolampy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $712 in Ambatolampy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $943 in Ambatolampy.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 163% more expensive than in Ambatolampy, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Ambatolampy 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$2.71 MGA 11.8K

328.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$10.57 MGA 46.1K

345.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$5.77 MGA 25.2K

105.89%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.73 MGA 7,526

130.06%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.79 MGA 3,429

81.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.47 MGA 2,030

74.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.06 MGA 4,627

200.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.38 MGA 10.4K

185.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$0.90 MGA 3,935

86.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.03 MGA 4,483

113.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$0.72 MGA 3,163

137.50%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.07 MGA 9,024

32.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$8.75 MGA 38.2K

9.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.71 MGA 20.5K

91.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$4.93 MGA 21.5K

159.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$1.14 MGA 4,957

153.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$0.61 MGA 2,649

145.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.04 MGA 4,536

106.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$0.90 MGA 3,938

151.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.58 MGA 2,512

241.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.95 MGA 4,154

109.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.33 MGA 1,428

272.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.70 MGA 3,038

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$1.59 MGA 6,943

186.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$5.10 MGA 22.2K

103.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.03 MGA 4,485

57.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.84 MGA 8,038

56.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.45 MGA 15.0K

56.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.14 MGA 9,322

74.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$4.69 MGA 20.5K

23.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$0.90 MGA 3,936

71.11%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$12.4K MGA 54.3M

81.31%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$26.0K MGA 113.4M

0.29%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$75.7 MGA 330.1K

20.76%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$17.45 MGA 76.1K

44.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$59.0 MGA 257.4K

-47.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$5.88 MGA 25.7K

-17.35%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$25.60 MGA 111.7K

773.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$15.2K MGA 66.1M

-72.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$30.25 MGA 132.0K

55.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$28.45 MGA 124.1K

55.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$78.8 MGA 343.9K

1.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$71.0 MGA 309.8K

30.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

15.75

-27.30%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ambatolampy: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $11.00 in Ambatolampy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $145 per month, with Ambatolampy 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

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

Ambatolampy wins on cost – living expenses run 163% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ambatolampy the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $723 in Ambatolampy to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.60 in Ambatolampy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ambatolampy – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $482 in Ambatolampy versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ambatolampy but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ambatolampy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ambatolampy delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $482 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ambatolampy hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ambatolampy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.