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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $800 in Maasin City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,248 in Maasin City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,697 in Maasin City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 57% more expensive than in Maasin City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Maasin City 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.34 ₱266

170.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$24.10 ₱1,475

73.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.40 ₱269

138.86%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.62 ₱160

37.02%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.79 ₱48.53

91.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.43 ₱26.06

113.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.57 ₱96.1

88.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.12 ₱130

108.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.19 ₱134

-36.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.91 ₱55.6

106.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.93 ₱57.1

67.74%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.11 ₱129

23.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$12.77 ₱781

-34.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.33 ₱326

56.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.62 ₱466

42.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.76 ₱108

53.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.69 ₱42.25

118.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.80 ₱110

3.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.29 ₱140

-4.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.56 ₱157

-27.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.49 ₱152

-10.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.00 ₱61.4

7.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.84 ₱51.5

29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.24 ₱198

29.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.44 ₱394

61.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.21 ₱74.2

37.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.31 ₱142

12.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.28 ₱17.30

92.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.83 ₱51.1

271.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.25 ₱15.33

860.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.69 ₱165

16.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.10 ₱67.1

19.09%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$30.3K ₱1.9M

-1.79%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$27.0K ₱1.7M

-13.55%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$95.7 ₱5,858

-15.07%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$34.59 ₱2,117

-34.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$30.14 ₱1,845

-0.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$33.26 ₱2,036

59.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$4.48 ₱274

310.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.11 ₱374

-19.48%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$234 ₱14.3K

-14.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,973 ₱243.2K

30.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$45.67 ₱2,795

-21.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$23.25 ₱1,423

72.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$76.9 ₱4,709

3.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$56.0 ₱3,428

54.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$271 ₱16.6K

261.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$174 ₱10.7K

169.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$584 ₱35.8K

182.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$388 ₱23.7K

210.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,172 ₱132.9K

82.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,084 ₱66.4K

509.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$130 ₱7,984

418.77%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Maasin City: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $271 in Maasin City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 419% 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 $252 vs $213 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 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 419% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $271 in Maasin City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $800 in Maasin City – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $800 in Maasin City versus $1,260 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 57% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.