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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $886 in Manaus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,399 in Manaus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,913 in Manaus.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 43% more expensive than in Manaus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Manaus 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$5.70 R$29.23

103.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$27.35 R$140

72.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$6.69 R$34.27

77.58%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.28 R$11.67

74.56%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.05 R$5.41

36.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.78 R$4.02

5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.68 R$13.71

19.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$5.28 R$27.07

28.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.38 R$7.08

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.55 R$7.93

41.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.26 R$6.45

35.71%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.59 R$13.25

5.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$9.71 R$49.77

-1.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.81 R$19.54

136.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$7.03 R$36.04

82.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.33 R$11.93

24.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.63 R$8.36

-7.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.42 R$7.27

51.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.97 R$10.08

14.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.21 R$6.20

63.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.20 R$6.15

65.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.74 R$3.78

66.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.63 R$3.23

90.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.61 R$18.51

26.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.78 R$44.98

18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.41 R$7.23

14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.63 R$8.35

76.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.87 R$4.47

-31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$38.18 R$196

-24.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$0.95 R$4.86

467.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.84 R$4.32

344.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$9.58 R$49.11

-39.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.32 R$6.77

16.67%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$23.2K R$118.8K

-2.76%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$32.0K R$163.9K

-18.53%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$115 R$588

-20.38%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$15.37 R$78.8

63.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$24.52 R$126

27.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$25.29 R$130

165.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$24.22 R$124

20.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$6.20 R$31.80

-21.61%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$219 R$1,121

2.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$5,047 R$25.9K

-16.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$49.48 R$254

-4.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$31.09 R$159

42.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$58.4 R$299

37.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$69.0 R$354

34.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$620 R$3,179

71.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$210 R$1,075

85.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$924 R$4,736

132.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$477 R$2,446

166.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$1,700 R$8,709

135.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,293 R$6,626

402.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$517 R$2,649

46.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.33

10.84%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Manaus: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $620 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 47% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Manaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $195 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 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 47% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $620 in Manaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% 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 $27.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $886 in Manaus versus $1,266 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 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.