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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $836 in Macaé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,343 in Macaé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,851 in Macaé.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 55% more expensive than Macaé, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Macaé 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$5.64 R$28.57

107.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$34.48 R$175

20.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.42 R$32.52

65.73%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$1.89 R$9.55

86.24%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$1.22 R$6.19

23.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.84 R$4.27

15.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.82 R$9.20

62.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.12 R$10.76

109.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$1.05 R$5.33

31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$1.64 R$8.31

15.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$1.29 R$6.53

27.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$2.01 R$10.17

24.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.75 R$39.22

7.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.65 R$18.48

128.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$6.31 R$31.97

70.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$2.43 R$12.30

7.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$1.23 R$6.25

18.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$1.15 R$5.84

65.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$1.38 R$7.01

50.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$1.11 R$5.61

60.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$1.11 R$5.63

97.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.68 R$3.46

52.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.46 R$2.34

134.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$1.99 R$10.08

105.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.03 R$30.56

71.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$0.86 R$4.34

98.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$1.15 R$5.84

124.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.69 R$3.51

-26.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$74.7 R$378

-64.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.11 R$5.64

193.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.69 R$3.51

260.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$7.77 R$39.34

-58.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.07 R$5.40

22.43%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$18.4K R$93.0K

64.91%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$27.6K R$139.8K

-15.12%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$59.7 R$302

38.83%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$9.69 R$49.05

129.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$18.73 R$94.8

56.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$38.82 R$197

33.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$27.30 R$138

-32.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$6.26 R$31.69

-19.01%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$535 R$2,710

-62.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$6,559 R$33.2K

-20.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$45.28 R$229

-18.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$29.29 R$148

35.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$72.2 R$365

8.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$60.8 R$308

43.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$353 R$1,789

175.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$230 R$1,163

103.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$660 R$3,343

148.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$502 R$2,541

143.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$1,243 R$6,293

217.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$784 R$3,972

728.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$780 R$3,948

-14.84%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Macaé: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $353 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 17% 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 55% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $836 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Macaé earns 17% less. 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $353 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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $836 in Macaé – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $836 in Macaé versus $1,297 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 55% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.