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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $731 in Meknes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,128 in Meknes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,525 in Meknes.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 73% more expensive than in Meknes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Meknes 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.25 MAD 30.81

256.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$15.66 MAD 149

200.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.38 MAD 60.6

86.21%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.25 MAD 11.89

218.40%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.91 MAD 8.62

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.42 MAD 4.00

95.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$3.10 MAD 29.36

2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.68 MAD 34.89

84.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.84 MAD 7.97

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.40 MAD 3.77

450.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.26 MAD 11.90

35.71%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.86 MAD 17.68

47.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$15.28 MAD 145

-37.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.29 MAD 50.2

70.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.69 MAD 91.9

32.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.31 MAD 12.40

120.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.23 MAD 11.68

21.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$0.67 MAD 6.33

220.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.60 MAD 5.66

276.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.56 MAD 5.32

253.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.80 MAD 7.59

148.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.47 MAD 4.50

161.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.58 MAD 5.53

106.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.14 MAD 39.30

9.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$10.87 MAD 103

-4.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$3.33 MAD 31.59

-51.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.66 MAD 25.21

8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.43 MAD 4.13

39.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$16.13 MAD 153

78.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.73 MAD 6.91

638.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.54 MAD 5.15

590.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.43 MAD 13.55

7.69%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$34.8K MAD 330.4K

-35.28%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$31.2K MAD 296.0K

-16.52%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$31.36 MAD 297

191.39%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$9.65 MAD 91.5

161.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$34.69 MAD 329

-9.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$29.45 MAD 279

128.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$34.01 MAD 323

-14.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.15 MAD 39.35

17.11%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$127 MAD 1,201

76.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$67.2 MAD 637

-29.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$64.3 MAD 609

-31.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$104 MAD 982

-22.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$67.3 MAD 638

37.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$276 MAD 2,616

285.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$177 MAD 1,676

120.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$473 MAD 4,490

353.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$295 MAD 2,794

331.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$982 MAD 9,308

307.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$631 MAD 5,988

929.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$479 MAD 4,543

58.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.5

154.44%

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 Meknes: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $276 in Meknes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 58% 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 $16.00 in Meknes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $202 per month, with Meknes 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 Meknes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meknes wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Meknes the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $276 in Meknes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Meknes – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $731 in Meknes – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $731 in Meknes versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Meknes but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Meknes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Meknes delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $731 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Meknes hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Meknes 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 Meknes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.