Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mangaf

For one person, living is cheaper in Mangaf: $1,064 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Mangaf
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Mangaf Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Mangaf

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Mangaf

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Mangaf actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,064 in Mangaf, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Mangaf $1,064

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,346 in Mangaf, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Mangaf $1,346

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,629 in Mangaf, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Mangaf $1,629

Playa del Carmen costs about 13% more than Mangaf, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mangaf are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Mangaf 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$6.46 KWD 1.99

69.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$65.5 KWD 20.20

-33.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$6.49 KWD 2.00

81.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 KWD 0.98

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 KWD 1.48

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$4.70 KWD 1.45

-18.94%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$0.32 KWD 0.10

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.31 KWD 0.10

151.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.64 KWD 0.51

-14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$1.51 KWD 0.47

47.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$1.91 KWD 0.59

-25.65%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$2.11 KWD 0.65

19.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$4.28 KWD 1.32

69.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$6.50 KWD 2.00

18.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$10.25 KWD 3.16

23.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.40 KWD 0.74

15.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.84 KWD 0.57

-25.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$1.85 KWD 0.57

37.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$1.54 KWD 0.48

37.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$1.37 KWD 0.42

41.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$1.47 KWD 0.45

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$2.26 KWD 0.70

-49.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.47 KWD 0.14

151.06%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.15 KWD 0.97

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$2.76 KWD 0.85

55.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$4.97 KWD 1.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$3.16 KWD 0.97

5.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$16.39 KWD 5.05

-67.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$0.32 KWD 0.10

350.00%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$22.9K KWD 7,073

-9.95%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$19.4K KWD 5,972

21.10%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$64.3 KWD 19.82

31.83%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$22.96 KWD 7.07

1.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$30.05 KWD 9.26

-4.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$48.05 KWD 14.81

18.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$12.64 KWD 3.90

-59.34%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$504 KWD 155

-59.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$9,376 KWD 2,890

-58.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$38.27 KWD 11.80

13.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$38.75 KWD 11.94

6.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$96.5 KWD 29.75

-23.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$87.3 KWD 26.89

2.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$242 KWD 74.5

305.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$422 KWD 130

-9.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.53

75.34%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mangaf: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Mangaf

$422 39.6% 10.7% $41

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Mangaf

$184 17.3% 28% $71

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Mangaf

$130 12.2% 35.7% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Mangaf

$117 11% 14.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Mangaf

$117 11% 5.1% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Mangaf

$73 6.9% 8.9% $6

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Mangaf

$21 * 2% 58.8% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $242 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $66 in Mangaf. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $184 in Mangaf – so Mangaf wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇼 Mangaf

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

02:14 2:14 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

39,025

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 KWD = 3.24 USD

1 KWD = 2.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KWD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.24 USD). 1 EUR = 0.344 KWD (1 KWD = 2.91 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Mangaf 12,690 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Mangaf

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,596 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $242 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $66 in Mangaf. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,064 in Mangaf, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,064 in Mangaf to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.