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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $330 in Madaripur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $534 in Madaripur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $738 in Madaripur.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 268% more expensive than in Madaripur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Madaripur 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$198

$1.18 ৳145

829.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$811

$12.32 ৳1,514

264.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$216

$5.17 ৳635

130.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 ৳316

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 ৳489

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$68.8

$2.01 ৳247

89.05%

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

$1.31 MX$23.71

$0.36 ৳44.78

263.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.48

$0.14 ৳17.65

514.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$58.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$90.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.36

$0.81 ৳99.1

80.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.06

$0.56 ৳69.1

316.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.07

$0.64 ৳78.1

125.00%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.50

$1.15 ৳142

113.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$139

$7.45 ৳915

3.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$143

$2.05 ৳252

284.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$231

$7.22 ৳887

77.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$52.7

$2.36 ৳290

23.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.70

$0.84 ৳103

69.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.37

$2.07 ৳254

24.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$38.63

$0.82 ৳100

160.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.19

$0.43 ৳53.3

353.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.00

$0.80 ৳97.7

142.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$20.80

$0.46 ৳56.7

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.07

$0.30 ৳36.77

306.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.84 ৳1,085

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ৳96.8

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ৳182

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$79.1

$3.01 ৳370

45.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$27.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.08

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.49

$0.40 ৳49.01

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$88.8

$0.84 ৳103

484.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$63.7

$0.59 ৳72.4

496.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$103

$2.80 ৳344

103.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$27.84

$1.05 ৳129

46.67%

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

$21.2K MX$383.9K

$32.9K ৳4.0M

-35.43%

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

$24.5K MX$442.6K

$43.8K ৳5.4M

-44.06%

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

$83.6 MX$1,511

$30.48 ৳3,743

174.31%

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

$24.03 MX$434

$5.37 ৳660

347.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$530

$12.13 ৳1,490

141.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,172

$13.78 ৳1,692

370.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$532

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$91.9

$3.74 ৳459

36.10%

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

$208 MX$3,754

$36.24 ৳4,450

473.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.1K

$1,478 ৳181.5K

173.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$805

$16.16 ৳1,985

175.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$760

$19.69 ৳2,417

113.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,365

$20.07 ৳2,465

276.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,652

$35.36 ৳4,342

158.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$17.8K

$86.9 ৳10.7K

1035.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$6,962

$52.2 ৳6,415

637.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.0K

$169 ৳20.8K

911.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.0K

$116 ৳14.3K

852.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$72.6K

$707 ৳86.9K

467.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$112.9K

$1,936 ৳237.7K

222.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.7K

$162 ৳19.9K

368.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.32

1.15%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Madaripur: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Playa del Carmen and $89.0 in Madaripur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 374% 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: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $12.00 in Madaripur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $114 per month, with Madaripur 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 Madaripur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Madaripur differ by about 268% in total monthly costs ($1,215 vs $330 including rent). Madaripur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 374% 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: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $89.0 in Madaripur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $208 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.13 in Madaripur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Madaripur – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $330 in Madaripur versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Madaripur but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Madaripur 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 Madaripur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 268% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.