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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $955 in Curepipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,494 in Curepipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,034 in Curepipe.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 35% more expensive than Curepipe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Curepipe 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.38 MUR 158

253.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$44.42 MUR 2,078

-3.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.63 MUR 216

128.73%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.63 MUR 123

37.64%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.95 MUR 44.50

54.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.61 MUR 28.38

54.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.77 MUR 83.1

74.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.82 MUR 132

58.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.33 MUR 62.3

7.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.65 MUR 30.56

189.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.32 MUR 61.7

23.48%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.25 MUR 105

17.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.76 MUR 363

5.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.37 MUR 298

30.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.39 MUR 392

32.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.00 MUR 93.5

32.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.81 MUR 84.8

-17.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.44 MUR 67.5

38.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.71 MUR 127

-23.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.96 MUR 45.04

86.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.93 MUR 43.29

134.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.84 MUR 39.48

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.53 MUR 24.97

96.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$5.77 MUR 270

-31.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.04 MUR 329

44.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.66 MUR 77.6

4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.02 MUR 94.7

23.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.92 MUR 42.99

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$36.91 MUR 1,727

-26.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.34 MUR 156

-5.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.68 MUR 126

-10.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$4.43 MUR 207

-30.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.46 MUR 68.5

-13.01%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

8.43%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$28.8K MUR 1.3M

-19.05%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$49.39 MUR 2,311

66.05%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$18.38 MUR 860

22.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$30.40 MUR 1,423

-2.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$17.66 MUR 826

193.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$2.24 MUR 105

733.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.07 MUR 284

-18.12%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$157 MUR 7,323

26.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,168 MUR 148.2K

66.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$40.41 MUR 1,891

-10.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$33.91 MUR 1,587

18.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$73.4 MUR 3,434

8.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$74.1 MUR 3,466

19.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$508 MUR 23.8K

89.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$360 MUR 16.8K

29.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,010 MUR 47.2K

58.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$665 MUR 31.1K

81.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$735 MUR 34.4K

435.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$652 MUR 30.5K

889.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$665 MUR 31.1K

8.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.5

107.64%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Curepipe: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $508 in Curepipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Curepipe. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $196, with Curepipe cheaper for home cooking.

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 Curepipe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curepipe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 8% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $508 in Curepipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Curepipe runs roughly 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $157 in Curepipe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $955 in Curepipe versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Curepipe but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Curepipe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Curepipe is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Curepipe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Curepipe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.