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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $952 in Managua, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,555 in Managua, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,158 in Managua, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 36% more than Managua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Managua are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Managua 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.80 NIO 176

144.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$35.28 NIO 1,292

17.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.90 NIO 253

54.20%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.44 NIO 89.3

44.26%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.80 NIO 29.36

88.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.69 NIO 25.21

40.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.33 NIO 48.60

121.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.06 NIO 75.4

116.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.25 NIO 45.85

10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$2.37 NIO 86.9

-20.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.82 NIO 66.8

-9.89%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.31 NIO 84.6

8.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$11.00 NIO 403

-24.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.51 NIO 238

28.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.10 NIO 297

32.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$3.86 NIO 141

-32.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.89 NIO 32.77

64.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.84 NIO 67.5

3.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$2.28 NIO 83.7

-8.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$3.94 NIO 144

-54.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$2.24 NIO 82.2

-2.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.06 NIO 38.98

-1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.05 NIO 38.52

2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$2.61 NIO 95.4

56.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$14.53 NIO 532

-28.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.41 NIO 51.7

21.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.16 NIO 79.1

19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.16 NIO 5.81

218.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$5.93 NIO 217

346.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.46 NIO 53.7

123.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.54 NIO 19.61

361.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$6.70 NIO 246

-51.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.29 NIO 47.27

1.55%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$22.7K NIO 831.7K

33.34%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$26.7K NIO 976.9K

-12.16%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$98.2 NIO 3,595

-15.57%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$17.14 NIO 628

29.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$37.51 NIO 1,374

-21.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$35.85 NIO 1,313

44.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$14.84 NIO 543

23.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$7.92 NIO 290

-35.98%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$122 NIO 4,474

64.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$6,003 NIO 219.9K

-13.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$78.2 NIO 2,862

-52.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$71.1 NIO 2,605

-44.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$131 NIO 4,802

-40.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$110 NIO 4,012

-20.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$255 NIO 9,348

281.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$191 NIO 7,000

144.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$442 NIO 16.2K

271.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$444 NIO 16.3K

174.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,209 NIO 44.3K

226.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$646 NIO 23.7K

905.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$360 NIO 13.2K

84.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.25

11.41%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Managua: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $255 in Managua. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 85% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $35.00 in Managua. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $260 in Managua – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Managua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, $952 in Managua – roughly 36% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,428 in Managua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 346% less in Managua. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $122 in Managua. 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 Managua, where all-in costs run around $952, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Managua 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 $952 in Managua to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Managua. 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.