Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Manresa

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Manresa: $1,210 and $1,260 a month, rent and utilities included.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Manresa
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,260
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Manresa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,260 in Manresa.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Manresa $1,260

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,994 in Manresa.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Manresa $1,994

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,728 in Manresa.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Manresa $2,728

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 4% less than in Manresa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Manresa 7% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Manresa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$199
$8.80 €7.83
22.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$795
$34.31 €30.52
25.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$218
$7.80 €6.94
51.15%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.4
$1.84 €1.64
110.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.29
$2.12 €1.89
-35.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.44
$1.19 €1.06
-29.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.3
$2.18 €1.94
42.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.6
$2.21 €1.96
129.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Manresa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.55
$1.09 €0.97
32.11%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.23
$1.20 €1.07
85.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$0.93 €0.82
58.06%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.71
$3.05 €2.71
-17.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
$11.32 €10.07
-35.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$145
$8.29 €7.37
-5.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$236
$9.23 €8.21
38.57%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.6
$1.87 €1.66
55.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.53
$1.79 €1.59
-19.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.07
$1.65 €1.47
54.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.03
$2.44 €2.17
-15.57%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.97
$1.11 €0.98
80.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.07
$1.39 €1.23
44.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$22.02
$1.38 €1.23
-13.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.23
$0.35 €0.31
260.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.4
$5.51 €4.90
-20.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$177
$5.46 €4.86
75.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.41
$0.68 €0.61
133.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$0.88 €0.78
219.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Manresa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.47
$2.18 €1.93
-73.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$514
$22.06 €19.62
26.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$92.1
$3.97 €3.53
25.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.6
$1.44 €1.28
143.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$99.8
$14.42 €12.83
-62.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.08
$1.75 €1.56
-16.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.8K
$38.6K €34.3K
-45.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.8K
$31.5K €28.0K
-24.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Manresa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,556
$117 €104
-27.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$443
$13.49 €12.00
77.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$536
$25.14 €22.36
15.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Manresa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,164
$47.37 €42.13
32.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$539
$15.47 €13.76
88.36%
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.3
$7.20 €6.41
-31.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Manresa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,763
$568 €506
-64.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$72.8K
$9,949 €8,850
-60.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Manresa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$806
$63.6 €56.5
-31.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$797
$21.46 €19.09
100.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,400
$110 €97.9
-31.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,637
$160 €142
-44.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Manresa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.6K
$910 €809
10.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,911
$484 €430
-22.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.6K
$1,329 €1,182
28.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.4K
$1,011 €899
9.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$72.9K
$3,318 €2,952
18.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$114.0K
$2,244 €1,996
174.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Manresa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$13.9K
$1,931 €1,718
-60.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.3
246.97%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Manresa: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Manresa
$484 29.3% $110
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Manresa
$213 17.7% $46
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Manresa
$145 28.5% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Manresa
$155 13.1% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Manresa
$160 41.4% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Manresa
$62 15.2% $11
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Manresa
$42 20.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $910 in Manresa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manresa pays 156% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Manresa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $213 per month, with Manresa cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇪🇸 Manresa
🕒 Local time
17:34 5:34 PM
00:34 12:34 AM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
78,877
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Manresa 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Manresa

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 Manresa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Manresa?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Manresa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Playa del Carmen or in Manresa?
On paper, salaries run 156% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Playa del Carmen compared to Manresa?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $910 in Manresa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Playa del Carmen compared to Manresa?
All in, you'll spend $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,260 in Manresa – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Playa del Carmen compared to Manresa?
A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 26% less than in Manresa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or in Manresa?
At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,260 in Manresa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Manresa. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Playa del Carmen or Manresa?
Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.
How safe is Playa del Carmen compared to Manresa?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Manresa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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