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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $555 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $765 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $976 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 134% more expensive than Mariano Roque Alonso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Mariano Roque Alonso 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.33 ₲26.4K

170.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$22.38 ₲136.4K

85.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.68 ₲22.4K

189.13%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.48 ₲9,015

137.84%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.65 ₲3,931

132.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.37 ₲2,280

162.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.42 ₲8,653

107.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$0.77 ₲4,669

477.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.81 ₲4,920

70.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.95 ₲5,818

98.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.83 ₲5,064

97.59%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.59 ₲9,685

57.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.92 ₲30.0K

69.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.26 ₲19.9K

155.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$5.47 ₲33.4K

96.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.55 ₲9,466

67.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.50 ₲3,048

192.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.65 ₲3,984

192.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.54 ₲9,378

35.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.11 ₲6,785

60.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.51 ₲3,121

329.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.52 ₲3,186

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.36 ₲2,200

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$1.35 ₲8,228

202.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.20 ₲37.8K

66.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.70 ₲4,241

144.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$0.85 ₲5,178

203.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.41 ₲2,502

24.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$38.53 ₲234.8K

-31.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.66 ₲4,004

393.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.74 ₲4,500

236.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$8.92 ₲54.3K

-63.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.82 ₲4,984

59.76%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$13.8K ₲84.1M

119.49%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$22.3K ₲135.8M

5.18%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$38.44 ₲234.3K

115.58%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$13.89 ₲84.6K

59.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$14.80 ₲90.2K

98.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$21.14 ₲128.8K

144.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.29 ₲26.1K

18.18%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$165 ₲1.0M

21.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$913 ₲5.6M

470.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$44.06 ₲268.5K

-16.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$30.96 ₲188.7K

28.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$63.5 ₲386.7K

23.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$50.1 ₲305.1K

73.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$189 ₲1.2M

413.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$126 ₲769.3K

270.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$822 ₲5.0M

-19.28%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mariano Roque Alonso: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $189 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 $124 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 134% 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, Mariano Roque Alonso earns 24% less. 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $189 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 46% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 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 $555 in Mariano Roque Alonso versus $1,297 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 $555 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 134% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.