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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $775 in Martil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,235 in Martil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,696 in Martil.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 67% more expensive than Martil, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Martil 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.67 MAD 24.60

339.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$27.64 MAD 255

50.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.63 MAD 61.1

60.48%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$1.97 MAD 18.14

78.68%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$0.42 MAD 3.90

259.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.40 MAD 3.66

142.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$5.50 MAD 50.6

-46.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$4.12 MAD 37.96

8.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$0.83 MAD 7.66

66.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$0.51 MAD 4.66

270.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$1.96 MAD 18.04

-16.33%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$1.95 MAD 18.00

28.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$13.19 MAD 121

-36.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.17 MAD 66.1

16.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$11.74 MAD 108

-8.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$1.61 MAD 14.81

61.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$1.23 MAD 11.28

18.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$0.78 MAD 7.17

143.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$0.81 MAD 7.45

156.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$0.67 MAD 6.16

165.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$0.66 MAD 6.10

231.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.39 MAD 3.63

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.59 MAD 5.48

83.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$4.28 MAD 39.42

-4.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.11 MAD 74.7

27.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$2.63 MAD 24.19

-34.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$2.47 MAD 22.70

4.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.50 MAD 4.65

2.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$16.34 MAD 150

61.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.53 MAD 4.91

515.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.88 MAD 8.12

182.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$4.43 MAD 40.82

-26.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.59 MAD 14.64

-17.61%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$36.7K MAD 338.3K

-17.56%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$29.7K MAD 273.4K

-21.07%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$41.62 MAD 383

99.11%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$10.91 MAD 100

103.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$39.44 MAD 363

-25.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$24.01 MAD 221

115.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$23.25 MAD 214

-21.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$6.70 MAD 61.8

-24.33%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$160 MAD 1,473

25.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$6,471 MAD 59.6K

-19.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$54.2 MAD 499

-31.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$49.09 MAD 452

-18.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$109 MAD 1,004

-28.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$97.8 MAD 901

-10.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$280 MAD 2,575

247.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$176 MAD 1,618

166.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$509 MAD 4,691

222.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$305 MAD 2,810

300.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$1,591 MAD 14.6K

148.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$951 MAD 8,761

583.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.81

137.42%

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 Martil: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $280 in Martil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Martil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $209 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 67% 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 $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,162 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 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 62% 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 $160 in Martil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $775 in Martil versus $1,297 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 $775 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 67% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.