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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,514 in Mayari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,896 in Mayari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,279 in Mayari.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 17% less than in Mayari, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Mayari is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.03 CUP 145

94.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$20.18 CUP 484

107.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.44 CUP 155

63.20%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.33 CUP 31.87

169.92%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$2.18 CUP 52.2

-30.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.24 CUP 29.64

-25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.54 CUP 61.1

16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.97 CUP 71.4

48.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.89 CUP 69.3

-51.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.79 CUP 18.92

137.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.55 CUP 61.1

-38.82%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$3.09 CUP 74.2

-15.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$5.97 CUP 143

39.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.36 CUP 129

55.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$11.81 CUP 283

-8.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$5.05 CUP 121

-46.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.22 CUP 29.29

23.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.39 CUP 33.31

34.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.49 CUP 35.75

46.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.95 CUP 46.87

-4.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.81 CUP 67.4

-20.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.01 CUP 24.29

5.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.08 CUP 25.90

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.45 CUP 82.8

21.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.15 CUP 244

2.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.77 CUP 42.39

-6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.97 CUP 47.18

32.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.19 CUP 4.49

184.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$20.16 CUP 484

29.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.32 CUP 55.6

32.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.41 CUP 9.90

485.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$19.61 CUP 471

-84.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.24 CUP 29.69

5.65%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$71.0K CUP 1.7M

-58.02%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$79.3K CUP 1.9M

-70.60%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$34.70 CUP 833

134.24%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$39.47 CUP 947

-42.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$247 CUP 5,917

-87.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$39.53 CUP 949

33.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$14.77 CUP 355

24.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$0.97 CUP 23.35

407.22%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$118 CUP 2,841

69.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$17.8K CUP 428.3K

-71.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$54.3 CUP 1,302

-33.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$40.36 CUP 969

-0.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$44.37 CUP 1,065

79.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$50.6 CUP 1,214

70.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$215 CUP 5,163

354.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$661 CUP 15.9K

-28.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$379 CUP 9,100

335.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$692 CUP 16.6K

74.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$400 CUP 9,591

889.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$356 CUP 8,535

1758.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$22.02 CUP 529

2972.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mayari: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $215 in Mayari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 2973% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in Mayari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $247 per month, with Mayari 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 Mayari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Mayari. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2973% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $215 in Mayari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $20.00 in Mayari. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,514 in Mayari – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,514 in Mayari, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mayari. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.