Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Maasin City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Maasin City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $743 in Maasin City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,135 in Maasin City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,527 in Maasin City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 70% more expensive than in Maasin City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Maasin City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.03 ₱190

282.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$23.37 ₱1,468

101.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.00 ₱251

197.00%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.57 ₱161

54.86%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.59 ₱36.98

142.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.50 ₱31.16

64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.72 ₱108

85.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.20 ₱138

208.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.99 ₱125

-15.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.10 ₱69.3

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.91 ₱57.0

87.91%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.95 ₱123

40.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.99 ₱628

-4.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.43 ₱278

103.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.48 ₱470

71.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.62 ₱102

78.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$0.62 ₱38.96

141.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.60 ₱101

34.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.54 ₱96.6

46.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$2.37 ₱149

-16.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.94 ₱122

2.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.23 ₱77.3

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.64 ₱40.19

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.91 ₱183

56.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.08 ₱382

70.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.27 ₱80.0

27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.74 ₱109

65.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.29 ₱17.92

106.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$12.01 ₱754

139.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.78 ₱48.93

591.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.22 ₱13.84

1595.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$1.95 ₱122

195.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.26 ₱79.0

22.22%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$21.5K ₱1.4M

4.64%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

35.16%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$122 ₱7,694

-25.39%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$14.86 ₱934

69.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$27.25 ₱1,712

14.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$28.89 ₱1,815

132.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$4.12 ₱259

606.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$5.65 ₱355

-13.98%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$131 ₱8,218

70.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$8,110 ₱509.5K

-47.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$31.56 ₱1,983

49.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$19.48 ₱1,224

127.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$75.8 ₱4,765

5.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$54.8 ₱3,440

69.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$269 ₱16.9K

294.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$165 ₱10.4K

135.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$529 ₱33.2K

306.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$312 ₱19.6K

307.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,421 ₱152.1K

65.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,037 ₱65.1K

527.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$128 ₱8,056

491.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.2

59.03%

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 Maasin City: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $269 in Maasin City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 491% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Maasin City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $188 per month, with Maasin City 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 Maasin City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maasin City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 491% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $269 in Maasin City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Maasin City – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $743 in Maasin City versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maasin City but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Maasin City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maasin City 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.

Expats usually find Maasin City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.