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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $849 in Manaus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,323 in Manaus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,797 in Manaus.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 50% more expensive than 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

$11.87 MX$204

$5.26 R$26.65

125.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$24.86 R$126

72.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.12 R$30.96

74.02%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.12 R$10.74

62.74%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.03 R$5.19

45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.78 R$3.93

21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.47 R$12.52

22.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.82 R$24.39

-4.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.33 R$6.72

3.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.45 R$7.33

27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.12 R$5.66

43.75%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.06 R$10.42

25.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.45 R$47.86

-12.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.66 R$18.55

128.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$6.37 R$32.26

67.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.11 R$10.67

24.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.59 R$8.03

-6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.24 R$6.28

54.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.80 R$9.12

16.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.12 R$5.67

66.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.11 R$5.61

103.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.70 R$3.54

51.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.61 R$3.07

78.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.54 R$17.92

17.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.67 R$43.89

19.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.39 R$7.04

23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.01 R$10.18

29.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.83 R$4.21

-34.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$35.42 R$179

-23.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.88 R$4.48

255.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.66 R$3.35

280.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.73 R$44.20

-63.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.14 R$5.75

11.40%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.9K R$100.6K

52.84%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$22.3K R$112.9K

5.69%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$110 R$556

-24.38%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$14.18 R$71.8

60.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$22.93 R$116

28.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.61 R$114

125.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$22.88 R$116

-19.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.80 R$29.34

-15.00%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$203 R$1,026

-2.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,776 R$24.2K

10.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$45.79 R$232

-19.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$28.71 R$145

38.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$55.1 R$279

45.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$62.8 R$318

42.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$390 R$1,973

145.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$244 R$1,236

95.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$670 R$3,392

145.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$506 R$2,563

141.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,716 R$8,690

128.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,264 R$6,398

411.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$500 R$2,532

33.36%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Manaus: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $390 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 33% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Manaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $184 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 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 33% more on average, 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: $956 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $849 in Manaus versus $1,271 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 50% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.