Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Maun

For one person, living is cheaper in Maun: $2.99 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Maun

🇧🇼 Botswana

$2.99

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Maun

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Maun actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2.99 in Maun.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Maun $2.99

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $5.03 in Maun.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Maun $5.03

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $7.06 in Maun.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Maun $7.06

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 40542% more expensive than in Maun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Maun 100% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$0.58 P 7.76

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$0.57 P 7.69

761.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

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

$24.03 MX$441

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

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

$208 MX$3,813

$293 P 3,930

-29.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Maun: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Maun

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Maun

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Maun

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Maun

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Maun

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Maun

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Maun

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇼 Maun

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

15:55 3:55 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

55,784

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100 BWP = 7.46 USD

100 BWP = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 13.4 BWP (100 BWP = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Maun 12,830 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Maun

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Maun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maun is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 40542% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,823 in Playa del Carmen and $4.49 in Maun 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.

Childcare runs $208 in Playa del Carmen versus $293 in Maun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you'll spend $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2.99 in Maun – a 40542% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2.99 in Maun versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maun but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Maun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maun 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 Maun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40542% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.