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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $996 in Manavgat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,578 in Manavgat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,161 in Manavgat.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than Manavgat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Manavgat 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.91 ₺312

72.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$27.66 ₺1,249

54.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.02 ₺182

163.43%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.65 ₺120

36.60%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.73 ₺78.1

-15.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.26 ₺11.65

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.68 ₺121

15.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.74 ₺124

62.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.90 ₺40.73

58.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.99 ₺44.83

89.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.10 ₺49.75

48.18%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.78 ₺80.4

48.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.29 ₺374

-0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.43 ₺245

52.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$19.29 ₺871

-42.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$0.70 ₺31.69

278.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.07 ₺93.6

-27.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.66 ₺29.89

201.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.10 ₺49.61

89.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.57 ₺25.54

214.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.28 ₺12.68

678.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.33 ₺14.80

227.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.34 ₺15.38

205.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.01 ₺90.8

97.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.46 ₺337

36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.68 ₺75.9

2.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.14 ₺96.4

16.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.64 ₺28.80

-18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$30.98 ₺1,399

-12.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.05 ₺47.61

199.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.08 ₺48.60

122.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$7.47 ₺337

-58.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.24 ₺56.0

2.42%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$40.1K ₺1.8M

-22.93%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$42.0K ₺1.9M

-44.45%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$48.72 ₺2,199

68.33%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$7.99 ₺361

180.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$15.70 ₺709

88.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$42.83 ₺1,933

21.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$20.49 ₺925

-8.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.53 ₺295

-23.89%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$601 ₺27.1K

-67.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$8,914 ₺402.4K

-40.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$48.23 ₺2,177

-24.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$27.21 ₺1,228

47.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$107 ₺4,825

-25.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$108 ₺4,886

-17.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$508 ₺22.9K

89.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$392 ₺17.7K

18.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$903 ₺40.8K

76.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$700 ₺31.6K

72.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,153 ₺52.0K

241.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$957 ₺43.2K

573.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$733 ₺33.1K

-1.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-42.90%

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 Manavgat: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $508 in Manavgat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manavgat pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Manavgat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $200 per month, with Manavgat 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 Manavgat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Manavgat differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $996 including rent). Manavgat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Manavgat earns 2% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $508 in Manavgat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Manavgat – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $996 in Manavgat – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $996 in Manavgat versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manavgat but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Manavgat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Manavgat are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Manavgat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.