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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $765 in Mandeville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,284 in Mandeville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,803 in Mandeville.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 70% more expensive than Mandeville, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Mandeville 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.14 JMD 963

91.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$63.5 JMD 9,952

-34.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.94 JMD 1,401

19.02%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.14 JMD 336

64.49%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.98 JMD 153

54.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.76 JMD 120

27.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.25 JMD 352

31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.77 JMD 435

60.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$4.23 JMD 663

-67.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$2.08 JMD 326

-9.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.57 JMD 245

4.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.53 JMD 554

-28.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$11.21 JMD 1,757

-25.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.32 JMD 991

31.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.60 JMD 1,190

41.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$6.08 JMD 952

-57.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$2.99 JMD 469

-51.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$4.15 JMD 650

-54.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$3.00 JMD 470

-30.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.02 JMD 316

-11.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.98 JMD 310

10.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$2.97 JMD 465

-64.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.49 JMD 234

-27.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$8.34 JMD 1,306

-51.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$11.61 JMD 1,819

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.91 JMD 456

-41.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$3.22 JMD 505

-19.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.09 JMD 170

199.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$3.09 JMD 484

-19.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.12 JMD 959

-46.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.28 JMD 200

2.34%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$43.0K JMD 6.7M

-29.65%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$33.5K JMD 5.2M

-30.07%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$93.0 JMD 14.6K

-10.93%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$21.59 JMD 3,383

2.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$50.3 JMD 7,874

-41.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$10.81 JMD 1,694

69.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$12.90 JMD 2,022

-60.70%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$228 JMD 35.6K

-11.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$2,457 JMD 384.9K

112.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$26.55 JMD 4,160

39.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$25.78 JMD 4,039

54.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$70.6 JMD 11.1K

11.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$77.6 JMD 12.2K

12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$470 JMD 73.6K

106.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,799 JMD 281.9K

119.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$511 JMD 80.0K

30.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.15

24.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mandeville: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $470 in Mandeville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 30% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $64.0 in Mandeville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $335 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 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 30% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $470 in Mandeville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $228 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 $64.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $765 in Mandeville versus $1,297 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 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.