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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,636 in Mallorca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,401 in Mallorca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,166 in Mallorca.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 21% less than in Mallorca, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Mallorca is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$15.22 €13.10

-23.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$57.2 €49.24

-18.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$10.46 €9.00

11.38%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$2.15 €1.85

90.23%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$2.37 €2.04

-42.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$1.78 €1.53

-53.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$3.29 €2.83

1.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.52 €3.03

96.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.20 €1.03

44.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$1.35 €1.16

67.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$1.60 €1.38

10.62%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$2.90 €2.50

-5.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$13.35 €11.49

-31.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$8.14 €7.01

9.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$15.08 €12.98

-16.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$2.51 €2.16

20.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$1.99 €1.71

-21.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$1.90 €1.63

12.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$2.68 €2.31

-15.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$1.78 €1.54

12.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$1.99 €1.71

3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$1.33 €1.15

-11.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$0.71 €0.61

69.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$6.38 €5.49

-27.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$5.87 €5.05

82.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$1.21 €1.04

33.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$2.12 €1.82

35.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$1.66 €1.43

-65.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

$34.32 €29.53

-13.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$4.10 €3.53

32.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$1.25 €1.08

196.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$24.53 €21.11

-75.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.76 €1.51

-11.93%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$38.2K €32.9K

-41.54%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$30.3K €26.1K

-14.42%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$136 €117

-34.65%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$20.60 €17.73

21.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$31.30 €26.93

0.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$47.89 €41.21

41.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$14.90 €12.82

94.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$9.49 €8.16

-46.79%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$409 €352

-44.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$8,106 €6,975

-47.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$85.4 €73.5

-44.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$34.77 €29.92

29.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$90.5 €77.9

-9.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$108 €92.6

-14.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$869 €748

22.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$684 €588

-40.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,308 €1,126

47.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$997 €858

30.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$3,345 €2,879

19.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$2,342 €2,015

182.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.5

227.14%

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 Mallorca: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $869 in Mallorca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $57.0 in Mallorca. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $260, with Mallorca cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mallorca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,940 in Playa del Carmen and $2,454 in Mallorca to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $869 in Mallorca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $409 in Mallorca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Mallorca pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,636 in Mallorca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mallorca. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mallorca, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Mallorca 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 26% less than in Mallorca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.