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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $772 in Marabella.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,324 in Marabella.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,875 in Marabella.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 64% more expensive than in Marabella, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Marabella 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$10.51 TTD 70.7

10.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$59.2 TTD 398

-20.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.95 TTD 53.5

49.43%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.83 TTD 25.75

3.92%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.05 TTD 7.04

36.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.75 TTD 5.06

9.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.79 TTD 12.06

78.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.62 TTD 17.63

159.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.96 TTD 13.20

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.24 TTD 15.05

-1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.79 TTD 18.80

-38.71%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.85 TTD 25.89

-28.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$6.82 TTD 45.90

40.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$9.93 TTD 66.8

-9.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.09 TTD 61.1

40.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$5.61 TTD 37.74

-48.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.46 TTD 16.57

-39.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$3.78 TTD 25.40

-43.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$4.35 TTD 29.25

-48.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.71 TTD 4.80

178.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.70 TTD 4.74

184.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.43 TTD 9.65

-13.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.15 TTD 7.71

4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$5.52 TTD 37.13

-17.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$17.55 TTD 118

-40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.48 TTD 9.96

9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$3.07 TTD 20.63

-6.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.92 TTD 6.21

485.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.91 TTD 6.11

309.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$14.83 TTD 99.8

-61.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.17 TTD 7.89

31.62%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$37.0K TTD 249.3K

-39.14%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$41.3K TTD 277.8K

-36.90%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$43.95 TTD 296

107.92%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$42.94 TTD 289

-41.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$44.80 TTD 301

-30.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$8.88 TTD 59.8

-45.27%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$405 TTD 2,722

-44.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$10.8K TTD 72.8K

-60.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$54.9 TTD 369

-14.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$36.50 TTD 246

21.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$86.8 TTD 584

-7.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$86.8 TTD 584

6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.75

99.13%

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 Marabella: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $59.0 in Marabella for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $317 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Marabella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Marabella differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $772 including rent). Marabella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,159 in Marabella to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 15% 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 $772 in Marabella – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $772 in Marabella versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marabella but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Marabella 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 Marabella gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.