Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mawlamyine

For one person, living is cheaper in Mawlamyine: $657 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Mawlamyine, Myanmar
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Mawlamyine
🇲🇲 Myanmar
$657
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Mawlamyine actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $657 in Mawlamyine, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Mawlamyine $657

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $960 in Mawlamyine, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Mawlamyine $960

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,264 in Mawlamyine, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Mawlamyine $1,264

Playa del Carmen costs about 83% more than Mawlamyine, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mawlamyine are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Mawlamyine 51% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Mawlamyine
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$199
$2.02 MMK 4,233
428.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$815
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
$5.04 MMK 10.6K
133.93%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.5
$0.98 MMK 2,056
286.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.14
$0.52 MMK 1,098
150.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.51
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.6
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.8
$1.52 MMK 3,182
224.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Mawlamyine
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$0.86 MMK 1,791
63.95%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.86
$0.52 MMK 1,078
323.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.40
-
-
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.47
$2.98 MMK 6,238
-16.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$8.41 MMK 17.6K
-13.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
$2.08 MMK 4,365
282.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
$3.75 MMK 7,841
242.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.9
$1.60 MMK 3,344
81.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.74
$0.87 MMK 1,829
58.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.36
$1.72 MMK 3,602
44.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.78
$2.75 MMK 5,758
-26.18%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.69
$1.54 MMK 3,228
31.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.42
$0.37 MMK 769
413.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.30
$1.54 MMK 3,229
-25.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.06
$0.21 MMK 439
490.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.5
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$183
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.51
$1.23 MMK 2,573
29.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.1
$1.82 MMK 3,811
51.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Mawlamyine
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.58
$1.47 MMK 3,084
-65.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$510
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.6
$1.95 MMK 4,081
144.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.5
$2.55 MMK 5,330
27.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.44
$1.78 MMK 3,723
-14.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.8K
$49.7K MMK 104.1M
-57.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.9K
$34.4K MMK 72.1M
-32.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Mawlamyine
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,554
$76.3 MMK 159.6K
9.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$25.08 MMK 52.5K
-7.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$514
$49.12 MMK 102.9K
-43.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Mawlamyine
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,050
$122 MMK 255.5K
-53.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$525
$5.13 MMK 10.7K
449.51%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.1
$9.87 MMK 20.7K
-49.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Mawlamyine
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,854
$501 MMK 1.0M
-58.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.4K
$8,850 MMK 18.5M
-40.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Mawlamyine
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$809
$39.57 MMK 82.8K
9.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$792
$35.48 MMK 74.3K
19.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,354
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,645
$23.60 MMK 49.4K
274.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Mawlamyine
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$254 MMK 532.2K
291.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,116
$121 MMK 253.3K
216.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.2K
$594 MMK 1.2M
181.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$252 MMK 527.1K
329.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.7K
$807 MMK 1.7M
384.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.2K
$493 MMK 1.0M
1144.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Mawlamyine
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5
129.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mawlamyine: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Mawlamyine
$121 68.4% $261
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Mawlamyine
$130 * 49.4% $127
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Mawlamyine
$48 * 75.9% $152
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Mawlamyine
$150 12% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Mawlamyine
$44 * 60.1% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Mawlamyine
$142 113% $75
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Mawlamyine
$21 * 59.2% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $254 in Mawlamyine. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇲 Mawlamyine
🕒 Local time
14:51 2:51 PM
02:21 2:21 AM
11 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
300,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MMK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,357 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.24 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Mawlamyine 15,860 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Mawlamyine

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 Mawlamyine: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Mawlamyine?
Playa del Carmen costs about 83% more than Mawlamyine, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Mawlamyine?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $985 in Mawlamyine. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Playa del Carmen or Mawlamyine?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mawlamyine, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
How much does it cost to live in Playa del Carmen compared to Mawlamyine?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $657 in Mawlamyine. That makes Mawlamyine about 45% cheaper.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or in Mawlamyine?
Groceries cost about 98% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Playa del Carmen or in Mawlamyine?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mawlamyine, where all-in costs run around $657, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Mawlamyine it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Playa del Carmen or Mawlamyine?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $657 in Mawlamyine to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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