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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $801 in Maasin City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,246 in Maasin City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,691 in Maasin City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 61% more expensive than Maasin City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Maasin City 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$4.33 ₱265

175.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$24.15 ₱1,478

77.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$4.36 ₱267

142.89%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.54 ₱155

42.52%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.83 ₱50.8

77.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.46 ₱27.88

104.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.52 ₱92.9

103.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.11 ₱129

111.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$2.21 ₱135

-35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.93 ₱56.7

102.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$0.93 ₱57.2

75.27%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.11 ₱129

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$12.65 ₱774

-35.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.28 ₱323

57.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$7.81 ₱478

42.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.82 ₱112

45.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$0.69 ₱41.98

117.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.79 ₱110

11.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.26 ₱138

-7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$2.67 ₱163

-32.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$2.56 ₱157

-14.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.00 ₱61.0

8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.80 ₱48.64

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$3.17 ₱194

25.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$6.40 ₱392

59.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.21 ₱74.3

42.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.24 ₱137

11.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.26 ₱15.79

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.87 ₱53.1

260.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.25 ₱15.40

860.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$2.67 ₱164

15.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.13 ₱69.2

12.39%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$30.2K ₱1.8M

2.37%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$27.3K ₱1.7M

-14.61%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$98.9 ₱6,050

-17.06%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$34.00 ₱2,080

-33.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$29.66 ₱1,815

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$33.42 ₱2,045

55.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$4.39 ₱268

325.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$6.07 ₱371

-18.12%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$230 ₱14.1K

-13.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$3,907 ₱239.0K

34.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$44.97 ₱2,751

-19.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$22.70 ₱1,389

76.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$75.0 ₱4,587

6.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$55.5 ₱3,397

60.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$267 ₱16.3K

261.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$174 ₱10.6K

166.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$587 ₱35.9K

171.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$387 ₱23.7K

212.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,601 ₱159.1K

51.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$132 ₱8,071

446.13%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Maasin City: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $267 in Maasin City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 446% 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 $24.00 in Maasin City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 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 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 446% 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 $267 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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $801 in Maasin City – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $801 in Maasin City versus $1,287 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 61% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.