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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $867 in Manaus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,347 in Manaus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,828 in Manaus.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 48% more expensive than Manaus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Manaus 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.36 R$26.73

122.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$25.32 R$126

68.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.27 R$31.29

68.90%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.03 R$10.15

78.33%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.00 R$5.01

47.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.71 R$3.56

32.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.48 R$12.38

24.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$4.88 R$24.37

-8.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.26 R$6.27

13.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.41 R$7.02

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.15 R$5.75

41.74%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.03 R$10.13

30.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$9.72 R$48.53

-15.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.67 R$18.31

125.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$6.60 R$32.91

68.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.14 R$10.70

23.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.52 R$7.58

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.29 R$6.42

54.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.82 R$9.08

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.18 R$5.91

51.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.14 R$5.67

91.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.70 R$3.47

54.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.64 R$3.20

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.53 R$17.64

12.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.98 R$44.81

13.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.36 R$6.79

27.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.09 R$10.42

19.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.79 R$3.93

-34.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$35.32 R$176

-23.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.94 R$4.69

234.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.67 R$3.34

258.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.87 R$44.28

-65.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.20 R$6.00

5.83%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$19.7K R$98.5K

56.37%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$22.7K R$113.1K

2.89%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$106 R$531

-22.91%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$14.15 R$70.6

58.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$22.95 R$115

29.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$23.09 R$115

124.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$23.24 R$116

-19.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.01 R$29.99

-17.30%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$202 R$1,009

-2.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,758 R$23.7K

10.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$45.65 R$228

-20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$28.97 R$145

38.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$54.2 R$270

47.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$63.3 R$316

40.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$392 R$1,957

145.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$238 R$1,188

95.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$666 R$3,324

139.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$493 R$2,461

145.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,761 R$8,789

123.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,310 R$6,538

392.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$529 R$2,639

36.21%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Manaus: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $392 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 36% 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 $251 vs $186 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 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 36% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $392 in Manaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% 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 $867 in Manaus versus $1,287 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 48% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.