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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,522 in Mayari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,904 in Mayari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,287 in Mayari.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 15% less than in Mayari, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Mayari is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.96 CUP 143

100.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$19.66 CUP 472

117.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.62 CUP 159

59.97%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.27 CUP 30.54

185.04%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$2.18 CUP 52.4

-32.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$1.23 CUP 29.63

-23.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.45 CUP 58.8

26.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.07 CUP 73.8

45.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$3.03 CUP 72.7

-52.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.83 CUP 20.03

126.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.49 CUP 59.8

-34.54%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$3.19 CUP 76.5

-17.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$5.96 CUP 143

37.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.40 CUP 130

53.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$11.73 CUP 282

-5.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$5.01 CUP 120

-47.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.18 CUP 28.28

27.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.37 CUP 32.82

45.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.49 CUP 35.65

39.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.89 CUP 45.24

-5.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.92 CUP 70.2

-25.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.01 CUP 24.26

6.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.08 CUP 25.84

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.46 CUP 83.0

14.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$10.05 CUP 241

1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.70 CUP 40.75

1.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.90 CUP 45.52

31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.19 CUP 4.47

173.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$19.67 CUP 472

37.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.30 CUP 55.3

36.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.42 CUP 9.97

471.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$20.33 CUP 488

-84.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.23 CUP 29.63

3.25%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$71.4K CUP 1.7M

-56.72%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$78.8K CUP 1.9M

-70.40%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$35.35 CUP 848

131.99%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$40.35 CUP 968

-44.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$246 CUP 5,914

-87.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$39.71 CUP 953

30.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$14.84 CUP 356

25.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$0.99 CUP 23.65

402.02%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$118 CUP 2,836

67.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$17.4K CUP 416.7K

-69.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$55.4 CUP 1,328

-34.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$39.55 CUP 949

1.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$45.31 CUP 1,088

76.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$49.82 CUP 1,196

78.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$211 CUP 5,062

356.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$665 CUP 16.0K

-30.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$384 CUP 9,216

315.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$689 CUP 16.5K

75.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$392 CUP 9,404

905.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$349 CUP 8,382

1746.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$21.67 CUP 520

3224.41%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Mayari: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $211 in Mayari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3224% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in Mayari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 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 18% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 3224% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $211 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 $43.00 versus $20.00 in Mayari. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,522 in Mayari – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,522 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 $1,287 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 18% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.