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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,541 in Mayari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,934 in Mayari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,327 in Mayari.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 18% 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 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.85 CUP 140

102.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$19.67 CUP 472

118.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.59 CUP 158

61.61%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.29 CUP 30.92

167.44%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.17 CUP 52.2

-30.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.22 CUP 29.25

-22.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.46 CUP 59.0

23.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.99 CUP 71.7

54.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.98 CUP 71.6

-53.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.79 CUP 18.85

134.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.44 CUP 58.5

-34.02%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.04 CUP 72.9

-14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$5.88 CUP 141

40.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.35 CUP 128

56.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.85 CUP 284

-10.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$5.10 CUP 123

-48.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.23 CUP 29.40

21.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.37 CUP 32.84

40.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.43 CUP 34.39

46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.87 CUP 44.94

-0.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.83 CUP 68.0

-20.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.01 CUP 24.31

4.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.07 CUP 25.66

1.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.58 CUP 86.0

15.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.12 CUP 243

2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.71 CUP 40.99

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.90 CUP 45.52

37.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.23 CUP 5.40

134.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$20.07 CUP 482

34.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.30 CUP 55.3

36.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.39 CUP 9.34

543.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$19.91 CUP 478

-84.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.27 CUP 30.40

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$68.6K CUP 1.6M

-55.75%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$80.7K CUP 1.9M

-70.78%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$34.59 CUP 830

139.95%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$39.78 CUP 955

-42.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$248 CUP 5,959

-88.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$39.91 CUP 958

27.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$15.17 CUP 364

20.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$1.02 CUP 24.54

383.33%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$116 CUP 2,788

69.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$17.8K CUP 428.2K

-70.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$55.4 CUP 1,330

-33.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$39.96 CUP 959

-0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$44.34 CUP 1,064

80.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$49.19 CUP 1,181

81.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$215 CUP 5,151

345.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$682 CUP 16.4K

-30.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$382 CUP 9,165

331.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$681 CUP 16.3K

79.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$390 CUP 9,365

904.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$357 CUP 8,556

1711.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$21.99 CUP 528

2933.15%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mayari: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $215 in Mayari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 2933% 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 $250 vs $246 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 21% 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 2933% 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: $956 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 $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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,541 in Mayari – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,541 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 $1,271 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 21% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.