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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $670 in Meknes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $984 in Meknes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,298 in Meknes.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 92% more expensive than Meknes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Meknes 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$2.20 MAD 20.35

442.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$12.47 MAD 115

242.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.40 MAD 49.91

96.11%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.27 MAD 11.76

185.04%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.69 MAD 6.38

113.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.45 MAD 4.14

108.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$3.23 MAD 29.86

-4.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$4.20 MAD 38.81

6.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.87 MAD 8.01

64.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.35 MAD 3.20

437.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.26 MAD 11.64

29.37%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.91 MAD 17.67

38.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.88 MAD 101

-24.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.37 MAD 40.42

89.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$9.33 MAD 86.3

18.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.37 MAD 12.66

93.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.20 MAD 11.07

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.93 MAD 8.59

113.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.67 MAD 6.17

210.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.73 MAD 6.77

145.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.74 MAD 6.83

194.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.43 MAD 3.94

151.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.62 MAD 5.77

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.36 MAD 40.31

-8.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.55 MAD 107

-11.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.89 MAD 26.76

-40.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.67 MAD 24.72

-6.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.45 MAD 4.19

15.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$16.32 MAD 151

65.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.40 MAD 3.69

685.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.48 MAD 4.48

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$4.50 MAD 41.61

-31.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.53 MAD 14.18

-16.99%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$37.0K MAD 341.9K

-16.45%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$28.5K MAD 263.8K

-18.24%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$37.31 MAD 345

119.81%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$10.72 MAD 99.1

109.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$33.14 MAD 307

-10.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$24.93 MAD 231

108.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$19.26 MAD 178

-3.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.38 MAD 40.51

13.47%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$150 MAD 1,384

32.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$1,643 MAD 15.2K

221.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$46.32 MAD 428

-21.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$39.60 MAD 366

1.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$57.2 MAD 529

39.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$54.1 MAD 500

64.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$274 MAD 2,532

251.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$171 MAD 1,579

172.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$416 MAD 3,845

284.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$285 MAD 2,638

323.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$954 MAD 8,824

313.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$646 MAD 5,976

898.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$497 MAD 4,593

45.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.5

153.78%

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 Meknes: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $274 in Meknes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 45% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $12.00 in Meknes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $184 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 92% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 45% 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 $274 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 $12.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $670 in Meknes – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $670 in Meknes versus $1,287 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 $670 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 92% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.