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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,005 in Managua, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,565 in Managua, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,125 in Managua, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 30% more than Managua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Managua are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Managua 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$9.87 NIO 361

21.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$37.37 NIO 1,369

26.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.78 NIO 285

51.03%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.60 NIO 95.2

58.46%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.82 NIO 30.10

70.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.72 NIO 26.49

26.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.45 NIO 52.9

121.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.03 NIO 74.2

248.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.24 NIO 45.37

35.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$2.40 NIO 87.8

-10.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.76 NIO 64.6

0.57%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.30 NIO 84.2

22.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.47 NIO 420

-19.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.57 NIO 241

40.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$7.36 NIO 270

71.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.61 NIO 132

-18.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$0.63 NIO 22.91

150.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.85 NIO 67.8

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.16 NIO 79.2

9.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$4.02 NIO 147

-50.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$2.23 NIO 81.7

-11.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.00 NIO 36.67

24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.07 NIO 39.36

13.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.61 NIO 95.6

76.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$14.91 NIO 546

-29.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.45 NIO 53.2

16.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.32 NIO 84.9

19.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.13 NIO 4.83

361.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$6.16 NIO 225

382.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.66 NIO 60.6

215.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.60 NIO 58.5

128.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$6.99 NIO 256

-17.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.32 NIO 48.40

16.67%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$23.2K NIO 847.9K

-1.51%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$26.0K NIO 950.5K

-0.54%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$117 NIO 4,303

-22.83%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$16.89 NIO 619

49.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$36.31 NIO 1,330

-12.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$33.13 NIO 1,213

107.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$15.11 NIO 553

94.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$8.52 NIO 312

-42.96%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$238 NIO 8,727

-5.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$6,164 NIO 225.8K

-31.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$72.0 NIO 2,637

-34.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$74.0 NIO 2,709

-41.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$132 NIO 4,837

-39.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$107 NIO 3,928

-14.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$253 NIO 9,283

328.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$193 NIO 7,068

111.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$447 NIO 16.4K

341.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$362 NIO 13.2K

254.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,194 NIO 43.7K

238.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$646 NIO 23.6K

938.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$354 NIO 13.0K

118.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.25

11.71%

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 Managua: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $253 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 119% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Managua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $257 – making Managua 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 Managua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, $1,005 in Managua – roughly 30% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,508 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 382% less in Managua. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $238 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 $1,005, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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 $1,005 in Managua to $1,305 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.