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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $918 in Marabella.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,601 in Marabella.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,284 in Marabella.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 37% more expensive than in Marabella, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Marabella 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$10.53 TTD 70.9

13.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$87.3 TTD 587

-52.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.31 TTD 49.17

47.06%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.62 TTD 24.33

-3.31%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.05 TTD 7.04

38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.83 TTD 5.57

6.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.83 TTD 12.28

61.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.14 TTD 21.15

43.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.71 TTD 18.25

-47.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$2.78 TTD 18.71

-33.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.61 TTD 17.56

-39.85%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$5.16 TTD 34.73

-51.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$7.76 TTD 52.2

6.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$10.37 TTD 69.7

-18.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$14.02 TTD 94.3

-23.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$5.73 TTD 38.51

-54.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.50 TTD 16.82

-42.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$4.29 TTD 28.85

-54.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$4.77 TTD 32.10

-56.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.45 TTD 9.75

27.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.65 TTD 11.13

31.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.87 TTD 12.59

-44.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.40 TTD 9.41

-23.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$5.87 TTD 39.51

-30.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$19.46 TTD 131

-47.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$2.10 TTD 14.10

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.70 TTD 18.17

-6.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.01 TTD 6.83

219.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.23 TTD 8.30

95.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$15.00 TTD 101

-78.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.09 TTD 7.34

21.10%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$33.5K TTD 225.4K

-11.38%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$37.7K TTD 253.5K

-37.22%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$80.2 TTD 539

2.28%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$46.57 TTD 313

-50.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$62.2 TTD 418

-51.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$9.70 TTD 65.2

-48.66%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$326 TTD 2,194

-39.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$7,349 TTD 49.4K

-27.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$60.2 TTD 405

-40.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$38.34 TTD 258

5.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$143 TTD 964

-45.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$130 TTD 877

-31.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.38

112.27%

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 Marabella: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $87.0 in Marabella for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $375 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 37% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $918 including rent). Marabella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,377 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 51% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $918 in Marabella – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Marabella versus $1,256 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 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.