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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,315 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,334 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,353 in Manzanillo.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 4% less than in Manzanillo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Manzanillo 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$11.56 MX$199

0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$35.59 MX$613

32.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$11.71 MX$202

1.45%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.62 MX$62.3

9.94%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.35 MX$23.18

5.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$1.32 MX$22.76

-37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.58 MX$44.49

23.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.71 MX$81.1

44.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.48 MX$25.57

13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$2.84 MX$48.83

-22.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.53 MX$26.40

11.76%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.27 MX$39.05

20.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.03 MX$121

36.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.84 MX$101

54.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$11.40 MX$196

12.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$3.00 MX$51.7

-3.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.63 MX$28.05

-7.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.62 MX$27.83

32.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.63 MX$28.03

38.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$2.71 MX$46.65

-26.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.86 MX$32.11

6.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$2.29 MX$39.48

-46.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$1.41 MX$24.35

-14.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$6.19 MX$107

-26.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$11.53 MX$199

-10.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$2.47 MX$42.47

-34.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.66 MX$45.86

8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.82 MX$14.07

-26.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$2.67 MX$45.95

101.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$2.73 MX$46.95

36.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$11.82 MX$204

-51.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.53 MX$26.28

0.65%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$22.2K MX$382.1K

1.60%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$25.9K MX$446.8K

0.41%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$69.6 MX$1,198

31.35%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$21.67 MX$373

16.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$34.28 MX$590

-8.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$69.2 MX$1,192

-2.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$35.61 MX$613

-18.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$4.64 MX$79.9

4.74%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$208 MX$3,580

7.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$46.15 MX$795

2.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$30.86 MX$531

43.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$83.3 MX$1,434

-3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$143 MX$2,470

-35.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$709 MX$12.2K

49.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$486 MX$8,370

-19.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$1,664 MX$28.6K

29.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$1,450 MX$25.0K

-12.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$396 MX$6,818

91.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.3

1.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $709 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 91% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $261 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 4% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,315 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 91% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $709 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Manzanillo pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,315 in Manzanillo – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,315 in Manzanillo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Manzanillo. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Manzanillo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.