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 $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,063 in Maltepe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,652 in Maltepe, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,241 in Maltepe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% 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 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$11.21 ₺531

6.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$731

$29.87 ₺1,414

40.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$6.44 ₺305

61.80%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.3

$2.42 ₺115

45.04%

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

$1.52 MX$26.44

$1.03 ₺48.90

47.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.88

$0.40 ₺18.86

127.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.0

$2.00 ₺94.7

52.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.2

$2.56 ₺121

70.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.78

$0.98 ₺46.28

44.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.93

$0.69 ₺32.59

165.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.51

$2.29 ₺108

-28.82%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$2.20 ₺104

15.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$9.73 ₺461

-11.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$5.09 ₺241

66.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$19.57 ₺927

-44.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.04

$1.51 ₺71.4

82.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.05

$2.28 ₺108

-36.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.90

$1.35 ₺63.8

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$1.56 ₺74.0

39.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.03

$0.70 ₺33.25

154.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.79

$0.69 ₺32.65

221.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.64

$0.72 ₺34.19

48.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.83

$0.61 ₺28.93

77.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.3

$2.20 ₺104

88.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$10.63 ₺503

-1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.40

$2.20 ₺104

-20.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.01

$3.17 ₺150

-18.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.95

$0.67 ₺31.77

-23.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$31.04 ₺1,470

-16.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.0

$1.05 ₺49.94

205.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.64

$0.59 ₺28.14

323.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.6

$8.92 ₺423

-64.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$1.16 ₺54.8

8.62%

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

$29.7K MX$517.7K

$44.8K ₺2.1M

-33.80%

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

$23.7K MX$413.0K

$43.2K ₺2.0M

-45.20%

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

$82.0 MX$1,430

$61.4 ₺2,907

33.62%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$11.13 ₺527

104.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$513

$13.06 ₺618

125.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$910

$43.76 ₺2,072

19.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$7.66 ₺363

-35.64%

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

$202 MX$3,519

$928 ₺43.9K

-78.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.0K

$6,085 ₺288.1K

-14.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$627

$40.98 ₺1,940

-12.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$703

$46.28 ₺2,191

-12.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,393

$57.2 ₺2,706

39.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,557

$107 ₺5,089

-16.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$503 ₺23.8K

88.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,114

$388 ₺18.4K

19.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$871 ₺41.3K

87.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$711 ₺33.7K

67.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.6K

$1,420 ₺67.2K

177.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.1K

$1,004 ₺47.6K

540.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Maltepe: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $503 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in Maltepe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $235 – 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 18%, 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 $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,594 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 $1,063, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. 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.