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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,034 in Manavgat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,605 in Manavgat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,177 in Manavgat.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 25% more expensive than Manavgat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Manavgat 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$6.61 ₺306

77.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$26.96 ₺1,248

54.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$4.13 ₺191

152.06%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.66 ₺123

35.71%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.76 ₺81.3

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.26 ₺11.96

273.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.72 ₺126

7.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.72 ₺126

69.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$0.83 ₺38.26

72.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.00 ₺46.36

90.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.12 ₺51.7

40.18%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$1.78 ₺82.4

48.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$7.96 ₺369

6.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$5.27 ₺244

62.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$19.33 ₺895

-43.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$0.70 ₺32.51

285.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$2.07 ₺95.9

-27.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$0.65 ₺29.93

193.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.15 ₺53.2

88.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$0.56 ₺25.73

233.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$0.28 ₺13.10

696.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.35 ₺16.35

208.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.32 ₺14.60

234.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$2.07 ₺95.7

100.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$7.25 ₺336

41.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.62 ₺75.2

3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.10 ₺97.1

20.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.62 ₺28.69

-11.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$29.99 ₺1,388

-12.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$1.05 ₺48.43

204.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.06 ₺48.97

132.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$7.64 ₺354

-58.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.20 ₺55.6

10.00%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$40.0K ₺1.9M

-24.65%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$41.9K ₺1.9M

-44.16%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$48.93 ₺2,265

66.26%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$7.90 ₺366

183.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$15.74 ₺729

90.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$43.83 ₺2,029

17.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$20.30 ₺940

-9.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$6.27 ₺290

-17.70%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$622 ₺28.8K

-67.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$8,900 ₺412.0K

-40.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$46.65 ₺2,159

-23.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$27.34 ₺1,265

47.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$111 ₺5,118

-28.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$108 ₺4,994

-19.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$517 ₺23.9K

83.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$401 ₺18.5K

19.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$891 ₺41.2K

81.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$699 ₺32.4K

74.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$1,128 ₺52.2K

255.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$929 ₺43.0K

596.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$699 ₺32.4K

-3.76%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Manavgat: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $517 in Manavgat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manavgat pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Manavgat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $197 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $1,034 including rent). Manavgat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Manavgat earns 4% 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $517 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 $27.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,034 in Manavgat – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Manavgat versus $1,294 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 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.