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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,060 in Maltepe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,688 in Maltepe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,316 in Maltepe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 19% more than Maltepe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Maltepe are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Maltepe 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$11.21 ₺504

4.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$29.72 ₺1,336

40.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$6.27 ₺282

65.87%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.42 ₺109

49.17%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$0.99 ₺44.36

48.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.37 ₺16.50

145.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.06 ₺92.4

47.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.57 ₺115

73.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.00 ₺45.15

38.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$0.67 ₺30.13

174.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$2.18 ₺98.1

-26.15%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.25 ₺101

14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$9.25 ₺416

-8.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$4.92 ₺221

72.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$19.98 ₺898

-44.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$1.45 ₺65.4

88.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$2.17 ₺97.4

-30.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.32 ₺59.5

48.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.58 ₺71.1

34.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$0.71 ₺31.76

161.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$0.73 ₺32.71

197.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.68 ₺30.54

57.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.62 ₺27.83

69.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.22 ₺99.9

88.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$11.27 ₺506

-8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$2.21 ₺99.5

-24.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$3.16 ₺142

-21.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.63 ₺28.20

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$29.91 ₺1,345

-12.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.06 ₺47.63

192.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.58 ₺26.20

324.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$8.81 ₺396

-63.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.15 ₺51.9

9.57%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$46.5K ₺2.1M

-35.15%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$44.0K ₺2.0M

-46.74%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$62.7 ₺2,820

33.87%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$11.45 ₺515

93.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$12.74 ₺573

132.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$43.74 ₺1,966

20.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$7.72 ₺347

-35.88%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$959 ₺43.1K

-79.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$5,926 ₺266.4K

-10.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$39.80 ₺1,789

-9.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$47.07 ₺2,116

-14.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$57.7 ₺2,593

36.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$107 ₺4,832

-19.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$522 ₺23.5K

87.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$387 ₺17.4K

21.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$905 ₺40.7K

76.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$722 ₺32.5K

68.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,427 ₺64.1K

182.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$988 ₺44.4K

566.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-64.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Maltepe: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $522 in Maltepe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Playa del Carmen versus $30 in Maltepe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $234 – making Maltepe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Maltepe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 19%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,591 in Maltepe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maltepe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $30.00 in Maltepe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Maltepe, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In Maltepe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maltepe – 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 Maltepe. 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.