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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $687 in Martil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,068 in Martil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,450 in Martil.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 88% more expensive than in Martil, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Martil 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$3.05 MAD 28.52

283.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$27.26 MAD 255

70.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$7.55 MAD 70.6

54.30%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$1.90 MAD 17.80

115.26%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.65 MAD 6.04

110.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.38 MAD 3.59

118.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$2.67 MAD 24.95

25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.21 MAD 30.07

115.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$0.92 MAD 8.57

88.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$0.26 MAD 2.42

769.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$1.88 MAD 17.63

-5.85%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$1.99 MAD 18.59

37.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$5.93 MAD 55.5

54.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$6.71 MAD 62.8

32.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$12.93 MAD 121

-2.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$1.70 MAD 15.95

77.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$1.41 MAD 13.19

11.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$0.91 MAD 8.53

134.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$0.88 MAD 8.23

156.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$0.71 MAD 6.66

181.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$0.81 MAD 7.61

154.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.38 MAD 3.58

210.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.62 MAD 5.77

93.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$3.84 MAD 35.91

20.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$8.01 MAD 74.9

33.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$2.21 MAD 20.66

-26.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.60 MAD 24.30

10.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.54 MAD 5.03

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$17.95 MAD 168

66.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$0.73 MAD 6.84

646.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.91 MAD 8.48

306.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$3.56 MAD 33.32

67.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.50 MAD 14.03

3.33%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$35.6K MAD 332.7K

-37.21%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$31.8K MAD 297.2K

-18.32%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$36.30 MAD 340

145.54%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$10.42 MAD 97.5

140.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$34.44 MAD 322

-8.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$27.02 MAD 253

150.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$21.78 MAD 204

32.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$3.84 MAD 35.88

31.51%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$49.31 MAD 461

356.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$6,060 MAD 56.7K

-30.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$18.21 MAD 170

160.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$44.85 MAD 420

0.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$56.9 MAD 532

44.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$68.9 MAD 645

33.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$278 MAD 2,603

284.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$178 MAD 1,666

127.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$491 MAD 4,592

294.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$278 MAD 2,604

367.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$1,249 MAD 11.7K

219.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$857 MAD 8,020

672.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.52

153.32%

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 Martil: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $278 in Martil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Martil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $187 per month, with Martil 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 Martil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Martil wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Martil the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,940 in Playa del Carmen and $1,030 in Martil to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $278 in Martil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Martil runs roughly 66% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $49.31 in Martil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $687 in Martil versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Martil but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Martil the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Martil delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $687 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Martil hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Martil are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Martil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.