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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,669 in Marsta, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,655 in Marsta, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,640 in Marsta, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 24% cheaper than Marsta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 7% below the global median, while Marsta is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$13.49 SEK 132

-14.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$68.5 SEK 673

-31.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$10.34 SEK 102

14.89%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$4.59 SEK 45.12

-13.29%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$2.07 SEK 20.30

-30.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$1.93 SEK 18.93

-57.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$7.25 SEK 71.2

-56.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$7.40 SEK 72.7

-8.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.82 SEK 17.85

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$3.22 SEK 31.68

-31.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$5.47 SEK 53.7

-68.74%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$3.83 SEK 37.59

-28.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$14.13 SEK 139

-32.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$9.14 SEK 89.8

-1.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$17.61 SEK 173

-27.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$3.15 SEK 30.97

-8.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.66 SEK 26.15

-43.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.04 SEK 20.08

5.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$3.94 SEK 38.74

-42.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.49 SEK 14.68

32.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.58 SEK 15.52

25.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$2.04 SEK 20.09

-39.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.92 SEK 18.83

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$7.15 SEK 70.2

-36.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$10.51 SEK 103

-1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$2.01 SEK 19.73

-19.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.24 SEK 22.04

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$3.39 SEK 33.31

-82.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$79.2 SEK 778

-63.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$13.57 SEK 133

-60.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.03 SEK 19.96

83.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$59.4 SEK 584

-90.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.75 SEK 17.23

-12.00%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$34.7K SEK 340.5K

-34.93%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$34.0K SEK 333.9K

-23.34%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$62.5 SEK 614

46.14%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$26.88 SEK 264

-6.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$40.99 SEK 403

-23.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$38.54 SEK 379

74.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$25.52 SEK 251

14.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$16.34 SEK 161

-70.26%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$224 SEK 2,205

-0.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$5,274 SEK 51.8K

-19.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$51.9 SEK 510

-9.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$30.99 SEK 305

42.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$92.3 SEK 907

-13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$106 SEK 1,043

-12.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$842 SEK 8,275

26.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$606 SEK 5,956

-35.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,379 SEK 13.5K

55.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$1,074 SEK 10.6K

18.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$4,179 SEK 41.1K

-4.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$2,874 SEK 28.2K

126.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$4,836 SEK 47.5K

-84.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.2

257.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Marsta: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $842 in Marsta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 538% higher in Marsta, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $69.0 in Marsta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $362 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Marsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Marsta is pricier by about 32%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,504 in Marsta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $69.0 in Marsta. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,669 in Marsta. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Marsta at $1,669. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Marsta it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marsta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.