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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $778 in Marilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,239 in Marilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,700 in Marilia.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 63% more expensive than Marilia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Marilia 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.44 R$27.53

118.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$27.21 R$138

57.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.36 R$32.20

67.45%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.74 R$8.78

98.28%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.09 R$5.50

37.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.65 R$3.31

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.77 R$8.94

71.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.69 R$13.62

71.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.04 R$5.26

32.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.08 R$10.55

-11.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.92 R$4.68

75.00%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.87 R$9.44

38.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.16 R$46.39

-9.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.83 R$19.39

118.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$6.40 R$32.41

66.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.10 R$10.64

25.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.88 R$4.43

69.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.16 R$5.86

65.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.51 R$7.67

38.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.14 R$5.78

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.10 R$5.56

105.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.71 R$3.58

49.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.62 R$3.11

75.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.18 R$11.03

90.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.75 R$39.25

34.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.27 R$6.41

35.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.99 R$10.09

31.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.94 R$4.77

-42.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$38.95 R$197

-30.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.11 R$5.60

181.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.70 R$3.54

258.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.56 R$33.21

-51.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.97 R$4.93

30.93%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$20.9K R$105.6K

45.55%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.0K R$141.7K

-15.79%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$61.5 R$311

35.00%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$13.62 R$68.9

66.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$19.17 R$97.1

53.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.70 R$115

124.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$21.27 R$108

-13.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.42 R$32.51

-23.21%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$268 R$1,356

-26.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,489 R$32.9K

-18.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$48.91 R$248

-24.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$41.47 R$210

-3.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$77.2 R$391

3.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$64.5 R$327

38.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$317 R$1,606

201.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$220 R$1,115

116.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$593 R$3,004

177.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$428 R$2,166

186.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,534 R$7,766

155.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,130 R$5,719

471.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$379 R$1,918

76.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Marilia: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $317 in Marilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 76% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Marilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $178 per month, with Marilia 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 Marilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marilia is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 76% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $317 in Marilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Marilia runs roughly 45% 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 $268 in Marilia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $778 in Marilia versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Marilia but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Marilia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Marilia 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 Marilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.