Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mariano Roque Alonso Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mariano Roque Alonso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $544 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $747 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $950 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 131% more expensive than in Mariano Roque Alonso, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Mariano Roque Alonso 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$4.50 ₲27.1K

166.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$22.41 ₲135.2K

86.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$3.59 ₲21.7K

199.44%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.49 ₲9,011

134.90%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.68 ₲4,102

113.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.38 ₲2,279

131.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.41 ₲8,499

109.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$0.72 ₲4,342

526.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.74 ₲4,446

93.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.90 ₲5,451

104.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.81 ₲4,912

93.83%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.65 ₲9,960

52.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$5.13 ₲30.9K

61.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.12 ₲18.8K

170.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$5.38 ₲32.5K

98.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.54 ₲9,262

69.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.51 ₲3,085

182.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.65 ₲3,941

201.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.60 ₲9,633

30.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.10 ₲6,640

68.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.52 ₲3,132

317.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.53 ₲3,182

94.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.39 ₲2,382

174.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.36 ₲8,199

201.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$3.93 ₲23.7K

158.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.66 ₲3,953

154.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$0.84 ₲5,058

201.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.45 ₲2,714

13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$38.93 ₲234.8K

-33.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.65 ₲3,892

396.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.72 ₲4,370

234.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$8.59 ₲51.8K

-62.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.81 ₲4,874

62.96%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$13.4K ₲80.7M

121.79%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$21.6K ₲130.1M

9.70%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$38.40 ₲231.6K

113.57%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$13.87 ₲83.6K

65.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$14.82 ₲89.4K

103.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$21.05 ₲127.0K

146.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.31 ₲26.0K

15.55%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$165 ₲994.8K

19.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$894 ₲5.4M

497.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$43.88 ₲264.6K

-18.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$31.71 ₲191.2K

27.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$63.0 ₲380.1K

24.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$51.1 ₲308.1K

74.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$187 ₲1.1M

405.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$126 ₲759.8K

276.22%

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

$808 ₲4.9M

-19.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.17

12.29%

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 Mariano Roque Alonso: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $187 in Mariano Roque Alonso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mariano Roque Alonso pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Mariano Roque Alonso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $119 per month, with Mariano Roque Alonso 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 Mariano Roque Alonso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mariano Roque Alonso wins on cost – living expenses run 131% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mariano Roque Alonso the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Mariano Roque Alonso. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $187 in Mariano Roque Alonso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mariano Roque Alonso runs roughly 50% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $165 in Mariano Roque Alonso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $544 in Mariano Roque Alonso versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mariano Roque Alonso but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mariano Roque Alonso the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mariano Roque Alonso delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $544 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mariano Roque Alonso hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mariano Roque Alonso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.