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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,188 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,796 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,403 in Manzanillo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 9% more expensive than Manzanillo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Manzanillo 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.51 MX$182

11.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$35.68 MX$617

16.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$11.14 MX$193

-4.49%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.87 MX$49.73

22.65%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.22 MX$21.09

23.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$1.27 MX$22.03

-23.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.06 MX$35.63

43.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.72 MX$64.3

19.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.40 MX$24.22

-1.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$2.50 MX$43.30

-24.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.36 MX$23.56

20.59%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.05 MX$35.43

22.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.75 MX$117

23.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.22 MX$90.2

59.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.31 MX$161

15.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.41 MX$41.74

7.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.39 MX$24.09

5.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.46 MX$25.28

30.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.61 MX$27.83

29.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.36 MX$40.88

-24.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.80 MX$48.41

-21.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.99 MX$34.39

-47.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.13 MX$19.54

-4.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$5.09 MX$88.1

-19.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.01 MX$121

47.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.46 MX$42.51

-30.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.40 MX$41.58

7.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.59 MX$10.27

-13.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.37 MX$40.97

37.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.61 MX$27.76

54.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$8.18 MX$142

-60.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.29 MX$22.24

1.55%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$20.4K MX$352.9K

48.42%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$22.6K MX$391.5K

3.53%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$124 MX$2,142

-33.09%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$15.69 MX$271

41.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$25.01 MX$433

17.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$29.19 MX$505

76.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$15.67 MX$271

16.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$3.85 MX$66.7

31.69%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$52.8 MX$913

280.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,595 MX$62.2K

44.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$48.17 MX$833

-23.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$28.64 MX$495

38.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$125 MX$2,165

-37.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$129 MX$2,226

-32.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$699 MX$12.1K

39.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$396 MX$6,848

18.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$931 MX$16.1K

76.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$753 MX$13.0K

62.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,668 MX$28.9K

136.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,279 MX$22.1K

407.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$410 MX$7,085

62.09%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $699 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 $227 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 9% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,188 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 62% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $699 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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,188 in Manzanillo – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,188 in Manzanillo versus $1,297 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 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.