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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,020 in Mamaia, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,568 in Mamaia, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,115 in Mamaia, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 28% more than Mamaia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mamaia are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Mamaia 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$9.74 RON 44.12

22.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$45.93 RON 208

3.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.99 RON 36.20

47.06%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.61 RON 11.83

57.85%

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

$1.40 MX$23.75

$1.99 RON 9.01

-29.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.78 RON 8.04

-48.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.33 RON 10.53

37.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.72 RON 12.34

159.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.46

$1.48 RON 6.70

13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.50

$1.22 RON 5.50

76.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.11

$1.62 RON 7.31

9.26%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.78

$3.23 RON 14.62

-12.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.38 RON 37.97

9.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.53 RON 29.57

41.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.79 RON 44.32

29.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.18 RON 5.33

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.80

$1.52 RON 6.88

3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.72

$1.62 RON 7.33

37.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.11

$2.19 RON 9.90

7.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.82

$0.85 RON 3.85

134.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.60

$0.95 RON 4.30

108.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.05

$0.94 RON 4.25

31.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.56

$0.78 RON 3.52

55.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$5.89 RON 26.67

-21.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$6.30 RON 28.55

66.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.71

$1.06 RON 4.81

59.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.09

$1.65 RON 7.47

67.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.23

$0.72 RON 3.27

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$19.53 RON 88.5

52.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.9

$0.71 RON 3.23

638.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.72 RON 3.25

406.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.2

$7.05 RON 31.93

-18.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.11

$1.55 RON 7.02

-0.65%

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

$22.8K MX$387.0K

$28.1K RON 127.4K

-18.95%

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

$25.8K MX$438.1K

$27.2K RON 123.3K

-5.21%

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

$90.7 MX$1,539

$144 RON 652

-36.98%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$8.22 RON 37.24

206.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$9.01 RON 40.79

252.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,168

$40.89 RON 185

68.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$18.99 RON 86.0

54.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.92 RON 31.34

-29.77%

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

$226 MX$3,830

$424 RON 1,922

-46.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$7,060 RON 32.0K

-40.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$69.3 RON 314

-31.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$40.71 RON 184

6.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,362

$76.2 RON 345

5.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,551

$95.1 RON 431

-3.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$394 RON 1,782

175.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,936

$295 RON 1,336

38.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$591 RON 2,678

233.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$439 RON 1,987

192.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$1,864 RON 8,440

117.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.8K

$1,512 RON 6,847

343.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.5

76.15%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mamaia: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $394 in Mamaia. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $46.00 in Mamaia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $205 – making Mamaia 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 Mamaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, $1,020 in Mamaia – roughly 28% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,531 in Mamaia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 52% less in Mamaia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $424 in Mamaia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mamaia, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Mamaia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,020 in Mamaia to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Mamaia. 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.