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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $335 in Madaripur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $556 in Madaripur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $777 in Madaripur.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 280% more expensive than Madaripur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Madaripur 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.63 ৳199

628.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$14.64 ৳1,794

193.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.55 ৳925

41.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 ৳699

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 ৳504

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.62 ৳199

112.96%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.36 ৳43.76

316.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.16 ৳19.77

493.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.74 ৳90.6

86.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.57 ৳70.1

224.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.64 ৳78.7

151.56%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.17 ৳143

121.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.25 ৳1,134

-10.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$1.62 ৳199

416.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.23 ৳886

47.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.18 ৳268

20.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.96 ৳117

55.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.06 ৳253

-6.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.79 ৳96.9

164.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.48 ৳59.1

287.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.84 ৳102

169.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.37 ৳45.50

186.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.27 ৳33.41

303.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.81 ৳1,079

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ৳99.1

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ৳176

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.92 ৳358

42.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.22 ৳26.99

145.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$10.13 ৳1,241

165.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.86 ৳105

263.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.39 ৳48.12

543.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.49 ৳305

26.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.00 ৳123

27.00%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.4K ৳4.0M

-6.38%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$34.5K ৳4.2M

-31.66%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$22.31 ৳2,733

272.03%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$5.57 ৳683

307.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$13.12 ৳1,608

124.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$13.52 ৳1,656

277.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$11.62 ৳1,424

57.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.27 ৳400

50.76%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$29.74 ৳3,644

563.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,381 ৳169.2K

282.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$16.32 ৳1,999

126.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$18.82 ৳2,307

111.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$20.79 ৳2,548

284.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$33.84 ৳4,147

164.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$68.6 ৳8,402

1294.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$42.36 ৳5,191

1026.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$162 ৳19.8K

918.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$96.6 ৳11.8K

1167.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$764 ৳93.6K

413.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,934 ৳237.0K

233.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$161 ৳19.8K

313.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.32

0.88%

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 Madaripur: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $68.6 in Madaripur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 314% 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 $15.00 in Madaripur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $115 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 280% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $335 including rent). Madaripur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 314% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $68.6 in Madaripur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Madaripur – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $335 in Madaripur – a 280% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $335 in Madaripur versus $1,271 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 280% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.