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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $810 in Mandeville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,410 in Mandeville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,011 in Mandeville.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 61% more expensive than in Mandeville, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Mandeville 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$6.21 JMD 975

92.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$73.7 JMD 11.6K

-35.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$8.94 JMD 1,404

31.43%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.20 JMD 345

87.27%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.08 JMD 170

29.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.74 JMD 116

22.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.15 JMD 338

49.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.91 JMD 457

142.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$4.12 JMD 648

-59.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.87 JMD 293

14.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.60 JMD 251

10.62%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$3.62 JMD 569

-22.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.30 JMD 1,775

-18.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.50 JMD 1,020

42.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$10.33 JMD 1,623

22.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$6.25 JMD 982

-52.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$3.86 JMD 607

-59.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$7.40 JMD 1,163

-70.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$3.14 JMD 493

-24.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$3.26 JMD 512

-38.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$2.69 JMD 422

-26.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$3.11 JMD 489

-60.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.52 JMD 239

-20.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$8.13 JMD 1,276

-43.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$11.35 JMD 1,783

-7.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.85 JMD 448

-40.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$4.11 JMD 646

-32.60%

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

$1.19 JMD 187

340.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.13 JMD 491

16.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$6.22 JMD 977

-7.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.35 JMD 212

14.07%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

-47.43%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$33.3K JMD 5.2M

-22.44%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$94.0 JMD 14.8K

-3.53%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$21.95 JMD 3,448

14.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$50.7 JMD 7,964

-37.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$10.94 JMD 1,719

168.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$13.03 JMD 2,047

-62.70%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$369 JMD 58.0K

-38.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$8,155 JMD 1.3M

-48.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$24.13 JMD 3,791

96.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$31.52 JMD 4,952

37.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$77.4 JMD 12.2K

3.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$103 JMD 16.3K

-11.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$466 JMD 73.3K

132.73%

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

$1,779 JMD 279.4K

127.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$497 JMD 78.1K

55.62%

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 Mandeville: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $466 in Mandeville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 56% 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 $74.0 in Mandeville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $369 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 Mandeville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandeville is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 56% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $466 in Mandeville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $369 in Mandeville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandeville – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $810 in Mandeville versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mandeville but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mandeville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mandeville 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Mandeville 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 Mandeville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.