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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,345 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,179 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,014 in Maldonado.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 4% less than in Maldonado, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Maldonado 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$14.69 UYU 591

-20.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$55.1 UYU 2,218

-15.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$10.99 UYU 442

6.01%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$4.53 UYU 182

-9.71%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$2.60 UYU 104

-47.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-58.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$3.62 UYU 146

-7.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.71 UYU 149

86.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.18 UYU 47.46

46.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$2.79 UYU 112

-19.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$1.79 UYU 71.9

-1.12%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$4.03 UYU 162

-32.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$14.37 UYU 578

-36.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$11.63 UYU 468

-23.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$11.63 UYU 468

8.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$2.90 UYU 116

4.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$2.18 UYU 87.6

-27.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$1.83 UYU 73.5

16.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$3.15 UYU 127

-28.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$2.04 UYU 82.2

-1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$1.99 UYU 80.1

3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$1.40 UYU 56.4

-15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$1.89 UYU 76.1

-36.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$5.45 UYU 219

-15.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$8.01 UYU 322

33.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-28.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$2.74 UYU 110

5.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$1.36 UYU 54.9

-58.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

$49.26 UYU 1,982

-39.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$3.42 UYU 138

59.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$0.43 UYU 17.41

760.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$9.98 UYU 402

-40.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.94 UYU 78.2

-20.10%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$27.5K UYU 1.1M

-18.68%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

-29.88%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$113 UYU 4,552

-21.21%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$16.99 UYU 684

47.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$45.82 UYU 1,844

-31.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$48.71 UYU 1,960

39.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$30.07 UYU 1,210

-3.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$12.35 UYU 497

-59.11%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$492 UYU 19.8K

-54.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$6,713 UYU 270.1K

-37.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$90.6 UYU 3,647

-47.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$37.96 UYU 1,527

18.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$122 UYU 4,900

-32.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$117 UYU 4,693

-21.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$427 UYU 17.2K

150.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$317 UYU 12.8K

27.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$910 UYU 36.6K

112.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$587 UYU 23.6K

121.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$1,008 UYU 40.6K

-25.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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 Maldonado: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $427 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 35% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $55.0 in Maldonado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $321 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 4% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $1,345 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Maldonado. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $427 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $492 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Maldonado. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,345 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 4% less than in Maldonado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.