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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $824 in Macaé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,343 in Macaé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,862 in Macaé.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 52% more expensive than in Macaé, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Macaé 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$5.70 R$29.02

110.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$33.80 R$172

23.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.42 R$32.67

67.45%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.92 R$9.78

82.29%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.28 R$6.53

13.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.82 R$4.19

7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.78 R$9.06

65.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.19 R$11.16

105.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.06 R$5.39

34.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.59 R$8.11

15.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.28 R$6.53

22.66%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.94 R$9.89

29.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$8.08 R$41.14

2.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.55 R$18.07

137.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$6.37 R$32.45

67.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.30 R$11.71

13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.27 R$6.47

13.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.18 R$6.03

66.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.39 R$7.07

50.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.09 R$5.56

69.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.16 R$5.93

87.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.67 R$3.41

53.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.47 R$2.39

127.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.01 R$10.21

103.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$5.81 R$29.56

75.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.92 R$4.67

82.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.14 R$5.81

121.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.75 R$3.83

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$73.8 R$376

-64.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.13 R$5.76

185.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.71 R$3.60

239.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$7.49 R$38.11

-56.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.07 R$5.43

23.36%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$17.8K R$90.5K

67.07%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$27.0K R$137.7K

-12.49%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$58.4 R$297

40.55%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$10.03 R$51.1

128.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$18.88 R$96.1

59.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$38.50 R$196

34.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$26.80 R$136

-30.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.17 R$31.41

-19.29%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$541 R$2,753

-63.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$6,587 R$33.5K

-18.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$44.81 R$228

-20.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.33 R$149

37.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$71.6 R$364

10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$60.8 R$310

46.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$357 R$1,816

165.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$234 R$1,193

102.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$661 R$3,366

148.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$508 R$2,587

138.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,231 R$6,267

229.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$762 R$3,877

749.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$761 R$3,875

-14.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.25

1.51%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Macaé: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $357 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $164 per month, with Macaé 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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Macaé differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $824 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Macaé. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $357 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macaé – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $824 in Macaé – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $824 in Macaé versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.