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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,170 in Madona, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,810 in Madona, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,450 in Madona, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 11% more than Madona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Madona are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Madona 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$16.97 €14.60

-31.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$70.3 €60.5

-33.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$9.53 €8.20

22.25%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$3.92 €3.38

4.34%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.60 €1.38

-14.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$1.20 €1.03

-30.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$5.78 €4.98

-42.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$4.63 €3.99

49.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.22 €1.05

41.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$1.49 €1.28

51.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$2.65 €2.28

-33.21%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$3.79 €3.26

-27.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$10.69 €9.20

-14.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$8.75 €7.53

1.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$14.35 €12.35

-12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.28 €1.96

32.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$1.86 €1.60

-15.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$2.41 €2.07

-11.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$3.25 €2.80

-30.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$0.89 €0.77

124.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$1.01 €0.87

103.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.78 €1.53

-33.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.97 €0.84

23.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$6.82 €5.87

-32.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$7.94 €6.83

34.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$2.03 €1.75

-20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.05 €1.77

40.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$3.43 €2.95

58.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.04 €0.89

255.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$18.49 €15.91

-67.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$2.08 €1.79

-25.48%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$27.9K €24.0K

-20.06%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$32.6K €28.0K

-20.35%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$386 €332

-76.90%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$21.28 €18.31

17.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$20.33 €17.49

54.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$28.82 €24.80

135.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$5.94 €5.11

-14.98%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$629 €541

-64.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$18.6K €16.0K

-77.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$72.8 €62.7

-34.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$51.3 €44.10

-12.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$87.6 €75.4

-6.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$142 €122

-34.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.64

146.77%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Madona: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $70.0 in Madona. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Playa del Carmen vs $274 in Madona – so Madona 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 Madona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,754 in Madona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $70.0 in Madona. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Madona, where all-in costs run around $1,170, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Madona it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Madona – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Madona. 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.