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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $836 in Manaus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,332 in Manaus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,827 in Manaus.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 51% more expensive than in Manaus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Manaus 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.42 R$27.49

116.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$727

$25.50 R$129

64.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.37 R$32.32

64.99%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.2

$2.10 R$10.66

70.95%

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

$1.51 MX$26.16

$1.03 R$5.23

46.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.87

$0.71 R$3.58

29.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.3

$2.46 R$12.49

20.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.5

$4.94 R$25.06

-10.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.21

$1.32 R$6.72

6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.68

$1.39 R$7.05

35.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.03

$1.15 R$5.84

35.65%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.25

$2.10 R$10.64

24.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.68 R$49.06

-14.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.55 R$17.98

135.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$6.42 R$32.54

69.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.04

$2.21 R$11.19

22.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.11

$1.57 R$7.97

-3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.49

$1.23 R$6.25

52.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.98

$1.80 R$9.14

21.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.21

$1.18 R$5.96

57.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.68

$1.13 R$5.75

97.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.53

$0.66 R$3.32

62.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.84

$0.61 R$3.10

78.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$3.63 R$18.43

15.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$8.85 R$44.89

17.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.75

$1.39 R$7.02

19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.30

$2.02 R$10.23

29.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.83 R$4.21

-34.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$454

$35.96 R$182

-27.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.4

$0.86 R$4.37

258.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.71

$0.70 R$3.54

242.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$8.52 R$43.20

-63.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.74

$1.15 R$5.84

13.91%

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

$29.8K MX$517.0K

$19.9K R$101.1K

49.52%

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

$23.3K MX$404.5K

$22.6K R$114.5K

3.27%

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

$81.3 MX$1,410

$106 R$539

-23.51%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$13.94 R$70.7

61.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$22.74 R$115

32.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$918

$23.00 R$117

130.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$23.14 R$117

-20.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.3

$5.94 R$30.11

-17.17%

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

$201 MX$3,483

$202 R$1,023

-0.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$4,606 R$23.4K

12.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$623

$45.26 R$229

-20.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$696

$29.40 R$149

36.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,382

$54.1 R$274

47.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,500

$64.2 R$325

34.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.0K

$390 R$1,976

151.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,160

$240 R$1,217

95.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$664 R$3,366

148.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$503 R$2,553

139.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.6K

$1,756 R$8,903

125.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.6K

$1,316 R$6,675

401.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$506 R$2,564

33.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.83

16.17%

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 Manaus: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $390 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 34% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Manaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $185 per month, with Manaus cheaper across the board.

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 Manaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manaus is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $390 in Manaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manaus – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Manaus versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manaus but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Manaus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manaus is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Manaus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.