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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $424 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $638 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $851 in Mardan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 197% more expensive than in Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Mardan 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$2.06 PKR 571

468.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$14.31 PKR 3,970

192.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.36 PKR 1,487

96.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 PKR 1,110

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.00 PKR 556

79.50%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.31 PKR 87.1

387.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.24 PKR 66.7

283.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.77 PKR 214

81.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.62 PKR 171

203.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.84 PKR 233

85.71%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.19 PKR 331

119.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$6.33 PKR 1,756

31.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$2.31 PKR 641

261.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$3.26 PKR 904

233.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$0.69 PKR 191

292.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.55 PKR 152

174.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.96 PKR 268

94.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.33 PKR 92.6

563.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.24 PKR 66.6

675.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.37 PKR 102

502.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.33 PKR 91.8

224.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.13 PKR 35.05

738.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.43 PKR 396

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PKR 243

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 PKR 543

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$1.43 PKR 398

193.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.18 PKR 49.54

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$6.89 PKR 1,911

279.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.36 PKR 101

755.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.34 PKR 94.9

605.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$1.81 PKR 502

72.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.89 PKR 248

47.19%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$21.3K PKR 5.9M

40.19%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$26.3K PKR 7.3M

-11.41%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$112 PKR 31.1K

-27.54%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$5.55 PKR 1,540

306.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$18.45 PKR 5,120

62.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$12.30 PKR 3,414

330.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$5.99 PKR 1,664

207.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.26 PKR 1,181

15.49%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$17.48 PKR 4,851

1048.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$1,112 PKR 308.7K

365.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$21.33 PKR 5,920

68.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$27.63 PKR 7,669

45.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$89.2 PKR 24.8K

-10.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$17.39 PKR 4,827

397.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$75.5 PKR 21.0K

1194.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$51.8 PKR 14.4K

807.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$167 PKR 46.3K

889.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$105 PKR 29.1K

1047.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$867 PKR 240.6K

355.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$511 PKR 141.9K

1191.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

20.2

-43.47%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mardan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $75.5 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $79.0 per month, with Mardan 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 Mardan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 197% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $636 in Mardan 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $75.5 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $17.48 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 219% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $424 in Mardan versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mardan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mardan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mardan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 197% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.