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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,038 in Mdina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,063 in Mdina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,088 in Mdina.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 38% less than in Mdina, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Mdina is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$20.35 €17.73

-43.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$91.0 €79.3

-48.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$13.77 €12.00

-13.73%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.86 €2.49

39.16%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$3.27 €2.85

-56.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$2.26 €1.97

-63.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$4.60 €4.01

-30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$5.21 €4.54

30.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.38 €1.20

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.34 €1.17

64.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$4.61 €4.02

-62.91%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$4.49 €3.91

-38.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$8.30 €7.23

15.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$10.95 €9.54

-17.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$18.72 €16.31

-31.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$4.42 €3.85

-34.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.83 €2.47

-47.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$3.68 €3.20

-41.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$3.37 €2.94

-32.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.59 €2.26

-23.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.03 €1.77

-1.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$2.43 €2.12

-49.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.38 €1.20

-13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$7.16 €6.24

-36.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.64 €7.53

20.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.83 €1.59

-11.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.43 €2.12

18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$2.33 €2.03

-74.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$5.88 €5.13

-8.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.34 €2.04

59.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$27.24 €23.73

-78.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.58 €1.38

-2.53%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$39.7K €34.6K

-43.26%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$40.4K €35.2K

-35.48%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$104 €90.9

-12.46%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$25.97 €22.63

-2.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$45.18 €39.36

-30.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$60.3 €52.5

11.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$10.39 €9.05

-53.22%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$386 €336

-42.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$11.3K €9,850

-62.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$91.2 €79.5

-48.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$41.15 €35.85

7.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$103 €90.0

-22.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$81.2 €70.7

14.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$1,263 €1,101

-15.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$1,095 €954

-64.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,930 €1,681

11.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$1,348 €1,174

-5.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$3,781 €3,294

5.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$3,014 €2,625

115.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,564 €1,362

-51.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.9

294.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Mdina: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $1,263 in Mdina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mdina pays 106% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $91.0 in Mdina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $339 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Mdina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Mdina differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $2,038 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 106% lower in Mdina. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,263 in Mdina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Mdina. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,038 in Mdina – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,038 in Mdina, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mdina. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Mdina are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Mdina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.