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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,325 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,090 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,856 in Maldonado.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 2% less than in Maldonado, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Maldonado 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$16.02 UYU 645

-26.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$54.8 UYU 2,205

-24.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$11.03 UYU 444

-3.54%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$4.15 UYU 167

-15.18%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$2.27 UYU 91.3

-33.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$1.75 UYU 70.7

-44.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.39 UYU 96.3

23.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.69 UYU 149

20.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.13 UYU 45.41

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$2.86 UYU 115

-33.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.55 UYU 62.3

5.81%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$4.63 UYU 186

-45.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$13.74 UYU 553

-39.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$10.77 UYU 434

-22.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.97 UYU 442

-2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.19 UYU 88.2

18.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$2.39 UYU 96.2

-38.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.57 UYU 63.4

21.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$3.54 UYU 142

-41.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.77 UYU 71.4

0.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.93 UYU 77.6

13.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.20 UYU 48.24

-13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.61 UYU 64.9

-32.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$5.25 UYU 212

-22.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$3.55 UYU 143

190.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.88 UYU 75.8

-9.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.65 UYU 107

-2.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$1.32 UYU 53.2

-61.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$44.20 UYU 1,780

-40.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.49 UYU 60.2

118.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$2.10 UYU 84.5

18.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$11.22 UYU 452

-71.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.81 UYU 73.0

-27.62%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

-11.95%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

-34.50%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$155 UYU 6,262

-46.70%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$16.93 UYU 682

31.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$43.30 UYU 1,744

-32.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$45.88 UYU 1,848

12.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$29.76 UYU 1,199

-38.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$7.95 UYU 320

-36.23%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$478 UYU 19.2K

-57.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$7,205 UYU 290.2K

-27.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$85.1 UYU 3,427

-56.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$46.83 UYU 1,886

-15.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$88.9 UYU 3,581

-11.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$91.4 UYU 3,682

-4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$366 UYU 14.7K

165.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$285 UYU 11.5K

64.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$890 UYU 35.8K

84.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$600 UYU 24.2K

103.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,526 UYU 61.4K

158.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,299 UYU 52.3K

400.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$886 UYU 35.7K

-25.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.68

101.06%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $366 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 33% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $55.0 in Maldonado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $297 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Maldonado differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,325 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Maldonado earns 33% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $366 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $478 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Maldonado. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,325 in Maldonado, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Maldonado. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Maldonado are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Maldonado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.