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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $562 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $950 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,337 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 130% 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

$11.71 MX$198

$6.78 ₲40.3K

72.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$34.13 ₲203.0K

36.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$6.94 ₲41.3K

67.87%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$3.33 ₲19.8K

22.82%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.11 ₲6,615

23.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.58 ₲3,464

43.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.98 ₲11.8K

69.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$1.86 ₲11.1K

271.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.17 ₲6,928

47.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$0.87 ₲5,181

159.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$1.26 ₲7,509

40.48%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$2.43 ₲14.4K

12.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$8.79 ₲52.3K

4.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$5.04 ₲30.0K

76.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$7.89 ₲46.9K

59.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.01 ₲11.9K

50.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$0.65 ₲3,858

141.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$0.84 ₲4,980

153.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$2.07 ₲12.3K

9.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$1.35 ₲8,042

48.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$1.26 ₲7,513

63.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.70 ₲4,137

68.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.71 ₲4,213

69.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$2.33 ₲13.9K

98.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$4.14 ₲24.6K

158.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$0.94 ₲5,591

72.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$1.68 ₲9,982

71.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.58 ₲3,476

-1.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$1.44 ₲8,548

278.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.47 ₲8,769

151.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$10.00 ₲59.4K

-40.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.22 ₲7,248

27.05%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$16.7K ₲99.1M

33.94%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$35.0K ₲208.2M

-25.89%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$49.31 ₲293.3K

80.75%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$17.19 ₲102.2K

45.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$20.16 ₲119.9K

56.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$30.93 ₲183.9K

119.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$6.60 ₲39.3K

-23.48%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$178 ₲1.1M

26.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$1,236 ₲7.3M

241.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$41.54 ₲247.0K

14.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$55.1 ₲327.9K

-18.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$85.9 ₲510.6K

-4.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$70.3 ₲418.0K

31.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$849 ₲5.0M

-11.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

27.22%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mariano Roque Alonso: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Mariano Roque Alonso pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Mariano Roque Alonso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $172 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 130% 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 13% 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.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $178 in Mariano Roque Alonso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mariano Roque Alonso – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $562 in Mariano Roque Alonso versus $1,293 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 $562 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 130% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.