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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $826 in Madaba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,421 in Madaba, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,015 in Madaba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 54% more than Madaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Madaba are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Madaba 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.58 JOD 3.95

112.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$49.35 JOD 34.93

-13.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.42 JOD 4.54

65.89%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.50 JOD 2.48

-1.43%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.48 JOD 0.34

212.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.38 JOD 0.27

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$4.36 JOD 3.08

-30.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$6.84 JOD 4.84

-32.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.44 JOD 1.02

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.55 JOD 0.39

236.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.70 JOD 1.20

-5.29%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.65 JOD 1.17

56.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$4.35 JOD 3.08

89.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.51 JOD 3.90

51.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.37 JOD 8.05

-6.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.96 JOD 1.39

34.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.42 JOD 1.01

4.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.40 JOD 0.99

37.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.74 JOD 0.52

182.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.68 JOD 0.48

173.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.70 JOD 0.49

222.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.34 JOD 0.24

211.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.54 JOD 0.38

101.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.16 JOD 1.53

92.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$21.47 JOD 15.19

-51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$4.72 JOD 3.34

-63.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$5.37 JOD 3.80

-51.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.89 JOD 0.63

-39.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$70.6 JOD 49.97

-61.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.74 JOD 0.53

322.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.39 JOD 0.98

80.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.87 JOD 4.86

-54.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.36 JOD 0.96

-6.62%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$27.3K JOD 19.3K

11.42%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.9K JOD 22.6K

-26.18%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$71.7 JOD 50.7

15.79%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$13.85 JOD 9.80

63.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$20.81 JOD 14.73

41.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$28.71 JOD 20.32

77.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$69.7 JOD 49.35

-73.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$11.17 JOD 7.91

-55.86%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$43.13 JOD 30.53

357.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,111 JOD 786

375.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$61.6 JOD 43.59

-40.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$49.62 JOD 35.12

-19.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$64.1 JOD 45.37

24.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$35.89 JOD 25.41

149.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$175 JOD 124

446.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$125 JOD 88.4

282.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$392 JOD 278

319.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$347 JOD 246

252.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$487 JOD 345

36.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.25

82.72%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Madaba: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $175 in Madaba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $49.00 in Madaba. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $224 in Madaba – so Madaba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Madaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 54% more than Madaba, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,239 in Madaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madaba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $49.00 in Madaba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $826 in Madaba. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Madaba, where all-in costs run around $826, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Madaba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Madaba costs $826 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Madaba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.