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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,033 in Manavgat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,590 in Manavgat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,148 in Manavgat.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 23% more expensive than in Manavgat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Manavgat 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.62 ₺371

52.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$40.03 ₺1,952

17.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.15 ₺397

45.77%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.20 ₺156

24.37%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.01 ₺49.19

41.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.38 ₺18.29

115.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$3.39 ₺165

-5.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.29 ₺160

106.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.03 ₺50.2

63.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.92 ₺44.85

139.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.55 ₺75.6

10.32%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.63 ₺79.5

68.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$12.81 ₺625

-25.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.87 ₺189

132.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$18.90 ₺921

-32.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$0.66 ₺32.20

337.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$0.85 ₺41.32

76.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$0.53 ₺25.88

305.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$0.50 ₺24.52

352.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.50 ₺24.44

296.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.28 ₺13.51

610.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.46 ₺22.60

167.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.48 ₺23.19

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.05 ₺100

121.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.03 ₺343

47.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$2.43 ₺118

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.91 ₺142

-1.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$1.07 ₺52.0

-43.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$33.22 ₺1,620

-13.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.75 ₺85.4

208.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.05 ₺51.2

255.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$8.33 ₺406

-30.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.20 ₺58.6

28.33%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-53.64%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$37.4K ₺1.8M

-30.26%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$72.3 ₺3,523

26.48%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$9.84 ₺480

156.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$16.16 ₺788

93.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$40.90 ₺1,994

64.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$18.71 ₺912

55.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$8.40 ₺410

-42.14%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$510 ₺24.9K

-56.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$9,936 ₺484.5K

-57.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$50.1 ₺2,441

-5.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$27.50 ₺1,341

61.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$93.0 ₺4,537

-13.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$91.6 ₺4,468

1.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$482 ₺23.5K

120.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$380 ₺18.5K

2.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$859 ₺41.9K

150.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$552 ₺26.9K

130.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,052 ₺51.3K

280.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,048 ₺51.1K

520.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$670 ₺32.7K

13.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-61.83%

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 Manavgat: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $482 in Manavgat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 13% 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 $40.00 in Manavgat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $201 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 23% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,033 including rent). Manavgat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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 $482 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 $40.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,033 in Manavgat – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,033 in Manavgat versus $1,266 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 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.