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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,307 in Manresa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,058 in Manresa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,808 in Manresa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 2% more expensive than in Manresa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Manresa 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$9.08 €7.77

43.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$34.79 €29.76

32.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$8.03 €6.87

56.79%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$1.90 €1.63

110.53%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$2.08 €1.78

-31.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$1.28 €1.10

-36.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$2.25 €1.92

35.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.29 €1.96

197.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.16 €0.99

47.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.26 €1.08

76.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$0.94 €0.81

82.98%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$3.13 €2.67

-13.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$11.59 €9.92

-19.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$8.42 €7.21

5.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$9.02 €7.72

41.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.01 €1.72

55.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.80 €1.54

-13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.72 €1.47

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$2.49 €2.13

-5.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$1.18 €1.01

71.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.43 €1.22

39.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.40 €1.20

-11.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.34 €0.29

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$5.92 €5.06

-21.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$5.89 €5.04

77.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$0.67 €0.57

135.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$0.94 €0.80

210.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$2.26 €1.93

-75.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$23.13 €19.79

28.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$4.11 €3.51

29.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$1.43 €1.23

160.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$15.16 €12.97

-61.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.72 €1.47

-9.88%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$39.4K €33.7K

-43.28%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$32.5K €27.8K

-21.29%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$120 €102

-25.41%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$13.60 €11.64

71.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$26.19 €22.40

21.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$48.39 €41.39

42.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$16.33 €13.97

80.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$7.53 €6.44

-32.80%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$579 €495

-61.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$10.3K €8,835

-58.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$66.6 €57.0

-30.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$22.29 €19.07

99.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$116 €99.5

-17.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$159 €136

-41.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$923 €790

15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$493 €422

-20.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$1,375 €1,176

44.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$1,033 €884

26.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$3,373 €2,885

19.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$2,266 €1,938

192.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$2,002 €1,712

-62.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

3.3

251.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Manresa: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $923 in Manresa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manresa pays 168% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Manresa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $218 per month, with Manresa 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 Manresa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manresa wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manresa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 168% lower in Manresa. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $923 in Manresa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,307 in Manresa – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Manresa runs roughly 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,307 in Manresa versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manresa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Manresa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Manresa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,307 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manresa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Manresa 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 Manresa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.