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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $934 in Managua, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,546 in Managua, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,158 in Managua, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 35% 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 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$4.84 NIO 177

142.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$34.38 NIO 1,259

21.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$7.10 NIO 260

48.03%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.45 NIO 89.7

46.53%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.86 NIO 31.52

75.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.75 NIO 27.39

22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$1.29 NIO 47.34

129.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.02 NIO 74.0

118.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.27 NIO 46.34

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$2.37 NIO 86.9

-20.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.88 NIO 68.8

-17.02%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.24 NIO 82.1

16.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$11.35 NIO 416

-26.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$6.77 NIO 248

23.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$7.83 NIO 287

38.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$3.95 NIO 145

-31.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$0.88 NIO 32.40

71.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.82 NIO 66.7

2.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$2.29 NIO 83.8

-4.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$3.89 NIO 142

-52.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$2.18 NIO 79.7

2.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.02 NIO 37.36

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$1.05 NIO 38.53

3.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$2.61 NIO 95.5

60.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$14.88 NIO 545

-29.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.40 NIO 51.4

18.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.18 NIO 79.9

19.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.13 NIO 4.65

315.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$6.08 NIO 223

330.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$1.49 NIO 54.5

106.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.54 NIO 19.70

344.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$6.86 NIO 251

-54.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.31 NIO 48.16

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$23.0K NIO 841.8K

29.67%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$25.9K NIO 947.2K

-9.82%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$99.7 NIO 3,649

-18.43%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$17.27 NIO 632

30.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$37.55 NIO 1,375

-19.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$35.51 NIO 1,301

49.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$15.12 NIO 554

21.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$8.14 NIO 298

-39.56%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$122 NIO 4,482

64.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$5,884 NIO 215.5K

-12.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$75.9 NIO 2,780

-52.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$72.3 NIO 2,648

-44.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$134 NIO 4,896

-40.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$110 NIO 4,040

-21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$252 NIO 9,226

288.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$187 NIO 6,834

152.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$443 NIO 16.2K

272.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$449 NIO 16.4K

168.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$1,189 NIO 43.5K

232.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$654 NIO 23.9K

911.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$359 NIO 13.1K

88.47%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Managua: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $252 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 88% 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 $34.00 in Managua. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $262 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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $934 in Managua – roughly 35% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,401 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 330% 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 $934, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $934 in Managua to $1,260 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.