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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,040 in Manchioneal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,697 in Manchioneal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,353 in Manchioneal.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 25% more expensive than in Manchioneal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Manchioneal 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$16.10 JMD 2,529

-25.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$75.4 JMD 11.8K

-37.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$8.87 JMD 1,393

32.47%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$5.25 JMD 825

-21.52%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.19 JMD 187

17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.68 JMD 107

33.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.24 JMD 351

43.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.18 JMD 499

122.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$4.25 JMD 667

-60.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$3.73 JMD 586

-42.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.59 JMD 250

11.32%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$3.61 JMD 567

-21.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.32 JMD 1,778

-18.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.23 JMD 979

48.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$10.37 JMD 1,630

21.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$6.02 JMD 946

-51.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$3.99 JMD 627

-60.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$7.18 JMD 1,128

-69.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$3.02 JMD 474

-21.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$3.25 JMD 510

-38.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$2.64 JMD 414

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$3.15 JMD 495

-60.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.51 JMD 238

-19.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$9.53 JMD 1,497

-51.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$11.46 JMD 1,800

-8.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.82 JMD 443

-40.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.91 JMD 615

-29.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.22 JMD 192

329.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.18 JMD 500

14.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$6.14 JMD 965

-5.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.39 JMD 219

10.79%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$43.8K JMD 6.9M

-47.92%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$32.3K JMD 5.1M

-20.12%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$175 JMD 27.4K

-48.11%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$29.64 JMD 4,656

-15.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$52.8 JMD 8,293

-39.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$13.46 JMD 2,115

-63.89%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$360 JMD 56.5K

-37.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$8,306 JMD 1.3M

-49.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$24.08 JMD 3,782

96.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$31.81 JMD 4,996

36.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$77.8 JMD 12.2K

3.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$101 JMD 15.9K

-9.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.45

21.16%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Manchioneal: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $75.0 in Manchioneal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $385 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Manchioneal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Manchioneal differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,040 including rent). Manchioneal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,560 in Manchioneal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $360 in Manchioneal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manchioneal – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,040 in Manchioneal versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manchioneal but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Manchioneal 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 Manchioneal 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 Manchioneal 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.