Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Manzini

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $359 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$359

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $359 in Manzini, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Manzini $359

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $383 in Manzini, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Manzini $383

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $406 in Manzini, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Manzini $406

Playa del Carmen costs about 235% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Manzini are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Manzini 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.27 SZL 21.08

11.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$0.89 SZL 14.81

147.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$1.75 SZL 29.15

-16.00%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$1.17 SZL 19.45

113.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$7.14 SZL 119

2.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$2.96 SZL 49.35

168.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$1.77 SZL 29.41

626.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$1.37 SZL 22.84

111.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$0.63 SZL 10.46

119.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$0.76 SZL 12.67

227.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$0.49 SZL 8.18

314.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$0.61 SZL 10.19

231.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$0.46 SZL 7.71

313.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.40 SZL 6.69

185.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.63 SZL 10.48

96.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$2.96 SZL 49.31

44.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$3.32 SZL 55.3

195.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$0.58 SZL 9.65

174.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$0.79 SZL 13.16

248.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.62 SZL 10.29

-17.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.33 SZL 22.20

15.04%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$16.7K SZL 277.5K

27.26%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$15.6K SZL 259.3K

49.40%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$72.2 SZL 1,202

15.65%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$12.21 SZL 203

89.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$29.64 SZL 494

-6.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$3.65 SZL 60.8

36.99%

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

$207 MX$3,854

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$177 SZL 2,949

461.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$121 SZL 2,020

215.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$482 SZL 8,018

72.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.50%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manzini: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Manzini

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Manzini

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Manzini

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Manzini

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Manzini

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Manzini

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Manzini

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $177 in Manzini. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 73% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇸🇿 Manzini

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

05:09 5:09 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

110,508

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 SZL = 6.01 USD

100 SZL = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 16.65 SZL (100 SZL = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.62 SZL (100 SZL = 5.37 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Manzini 13,770 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Manzini

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 Manzini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 235% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $539 in Manzini. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manzini, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $177 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $359 in Manzini. That makes Manzini about 70% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 126% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Manzini, where all-in costs run around $359, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Manzini it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $359 in Manzini to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Manzini. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.