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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,174 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,791 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,409 in Manzanillo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 7% more expensive than in Manzanillo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Manzanillo 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$10.60 MX$186

13.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$36.39 MX$638

14.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$11.17 MX$196

-3.76%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.88 MX$50.5

21.53%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.19 MX$20.94

21.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$1.23 MX$21.49

-28.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$2.09 MX$36.71

41.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$3.62 MX$63.6

24.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.33 MX$23.26

7.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$2.53 MX$44.31

-27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.31 MX$22.99

19.85%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.99 MX$34.96

26.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$6.72 MX$118

23.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$5.41 MX$94.9

55.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$9.02 MX$158

18.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.31 MX$40.60

12.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.39 MX$24.46

3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.53 MX$26.76

28.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.61 MX$28.18

29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$2.35 MX$41.17

-21.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$2.83 MX$49.61

-23.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$2.02 MX$35.42

-49.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$1.19 MX$20.95

-10.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$5.17 MX$90.6

-20.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$6.71 MX$118

51.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.51 MX$43.95

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.42 MX$42.50

4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.61 MX$10.67

-16.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$2.35 MX$41.24

37.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.60 MX$28.13

50.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$8.54 MX$150

-62.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.27 MX$22.23

3.94%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$20.6K MX$361.4K

44.14%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$22.8K MX$399.5K

3.88%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$123 MX$2,156

-33.28%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$15.97 MX$280

43.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$24.94 MX$438

20.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$29.55 MX$518

75.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$15.93 MX$279

16.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$3.89 MX$68.3

28.02%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$53.7 MX$941

267.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$3,653 MX$64.1K

46.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$48.81 MX$856

-27.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$28.39 MX$498

42.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$123 MX$2,152

-35.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$133 MX$2,332

-33.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$689 MX$12.1K

37.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$406 MX$7,122

16.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$936 MX$16.4K

75.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$749 MX$13.1K

61.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$404 MX$7,094

61.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.07

3.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $689 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 62% 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 $36.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $226 per month, with Manzanillo 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 Manzanillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Manzanillo differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,174 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 62% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $689 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,174 in Manzanillo – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,174 in Manzanillo versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manzanillo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Manzanillo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Manzanillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.