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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $791 in Maasin City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,259 in Maasin City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,726 in Maasin City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 64% more expensive than Maasin City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Maasin City 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$4.49 ₱270

161.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$24.30 ₱1,464

71.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$4.51 ₱272

130.82%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.53 ₱153

42.69%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.84 ₱50.5

73.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.42 ₱25.20

130.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.51 ₱90.9

93.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.15 ₱129

114.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$2.12 ₱128

-32.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.88 ₱52.8

115.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.01 ₱60.9

55.45%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.09 ₱126

26.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$12.83 ₱773

-34.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$5.39 ₱325

59.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$7.86 ₱474

39.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$1.75 ₱105

54.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$0.73 ₱44.13

106.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.73 ₱104

10.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$2.29 ₱138

-5.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$2.67 ₱161

-29.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$2.45 ₱147

-8.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.92 ₱55.6

17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.77 ₱46.66

38.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$3.23 ₱194

28.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$6.49 ₱391

58.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.20 ₱72.0

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.22 ₱134

13.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.28 ₱16.91

96.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$0.83 ₱50.2

285.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.23 ₱13.85

969.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$2.59 ₱156

23.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.09 ₱65.6

21.10%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$30.0K ₱1.8M

0.49%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$27.2K ₱1.6M

-14.09%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$97.9 ₱5,895

-16.89%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$33.82 ₱2,037

-33.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$30.32 ₱1,826

-1.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$34.05 ₱2,051

51.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$4.50 ₱271

308.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$5.84 ₱352

-11.64%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$233 ₱14.0K

-13.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$3,976 ₱239.4K

33.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$45.35 ₱2,731

-21.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$22.68 ₱1,366

78.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$74.6 ₱4,495

5.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$54.7 ₱3,294

58.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$262 ₱15.8K

262.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$175 ₱10.5K

174.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$582 ₱35.1K

178.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$395 ₱23.8K

209.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$2,156 ₱129.8K

85.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$937 ₱56.4K

590.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$130 ₱7,849

416.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

42.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Maasin City: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $262 in Maasin City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 416% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Maasin City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $212 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, Getting Around. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 416% 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $262 in Maasin City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $791 in Maasin City – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $791 in Maasin City versus $1,294 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 64% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.