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: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $336 in Madaripur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $539 in Madaripur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $741 in Madaripur.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 295% more expensive than in Madaripur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Madaripur 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$1.19 ৳145

994.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$12.26 ৳1,496

277.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$5.29 ৳645

138.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 ৳331

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 ৳499

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$1.98 ৳242

102.02%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.37 ৳45.12

283.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.13 ৳15.83

523.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$0.76 ৳92.4

125.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.60 ৳73.3

270.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$0.66 ৳80.7

160.61%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$1.17 ৳143

131.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$7.27 ৳887

28.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$2.05 ৳251

332.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$7.56 ৳922

69.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.27 ৳277

37.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$0.84 ৳103

84.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.08 ৳254

3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$0.86 ৳105

173.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.43 ৳53.0

369.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.79 ৳97.0

151.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.50 ৳60.7

148.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.32 ৳39.15

271.87%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.75 ৳1,067

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ৳95.1

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ৳182

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$3.03 ৳370

53.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.47 ৳56.9

19.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$0.84 ৳103

533.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.59 ৳72.2

530.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$4.17 ৳509

38.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.06 ৳129

46.23%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$33.2K ৳4.0M

-32.60%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$44.2K ৳5.4M

-42.11%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$30.34 ৳3,702

194.26%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$5.36 ৳654

334.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$12.25 ৳1,494

158.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$14.39 ৳1,755

377.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$3.56 ৳435

42.13%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$36.13 ৳4,409

514.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$1,474 ৳179.8K

191.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$16.44 ৳2,006

181.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$19.92 ৳2,430

123.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$20.42 ৳2,491

367.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$34.75 ৳4,240

166.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$87.2 ৳10.6K

1126.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$52.1 ৳6,356

654.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$167 ৳20.4K

1091.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$115 ৳14.1K

1032.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$708 ৳86.3K

470.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,923 ৳234.6K

244.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$166 ৳20.2K

350.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

11.32

2.47%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Madaripur: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $87.2 in Madaripur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 350% 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: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $12.00 in Madaripur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $113 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 295% in total monthly costs ($1,330 vs $336 including rent). Madaripur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 350% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $87.2 in Madaripur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $336 in Madaripur versus $1,330 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 295% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.