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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,217 in Mangaf, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,107 in Mangaf, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,997 in Mangaf, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 4% more than Mangaf, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mangaf are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Mangaf 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.74 KWD 2.07

73.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$39.96 KWD 12.29

4.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.83 KWD 2.72

19.03%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 KWD 0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 KWD 1.10

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$5.57 KWD 1.71

-35.55%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.31 KWD 0.10

387.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.35 KWD 0.11

162.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.60 KWD 0.49

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.25 KWD 0.38

50.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.77 KWD 0.55

-11.86%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.02 KWD 0.62

29.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$5.18 KWD 1.59

60.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.61 KWD 2.03

26.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.16 KWD 3.13

6.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.43 KWD 0.75

11.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.98 KWD 0.61

-23.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.80 KWD 0.55

3.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.50 KWD 0.46

46.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.22 KWD 0.37

52.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.26 KWD 0.39

76.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.63 KWD 0.50

-34.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.45 KWD 0.14

142.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.30 KWD 1.01

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.00 KWD 0.92

39.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.83 KWD 0.26

-34.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$44.39 KWD 13.65

-41.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.37 KWD 1.04

-8.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.48 KWD 0.76

-3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$11.62 KWD 3.58

-73.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.34 KWD 0.11

285.29%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$21.2K KWD 6,509

40.87%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$19.9K KWD 6,123

17.17%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$62.8 KWD 19.31

29.49%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$18.22 KWD 5.60

23.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$26.25 KWD 8.08

14.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$94.4 KWD 29.02

-43.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$46.35 KWD 14.26

-60.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$11.48 KWD 3.53

-57.14%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$395 KWD 121

-49.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,483 KWD 1,994

-20.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$41.89 KWD 12.89

-14.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$43.19 KWD 13.29

-7.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$89.3 KWD 27.46

-10.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$82.0 KWD 25.22

5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$572 KWD 176

71.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$472 KWD 145

-0.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,603 KWD 493

3.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$1,304 KWD 401

-7.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.5

153.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mangaf: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $572 in Mangaf. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $40.00 in Mangaf. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $180 – making Mangaf the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Mangaf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 4%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,825 in Mangaf. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mangaf, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $40.00 in Mangaf. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,217 in Mangaf. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mangaf, where all-in costs run around $1,217, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Mangaf it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mangaf – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mangaf. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.