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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $666 in Meknes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $980 in Meknes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,293 in Meknes.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 91% more expensive than Meknes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Meknes 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.16 MAD 19.95

449.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$12.73 MAD 118

237.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.40 MAD 49.94

97.22%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.33 MAD 12.28

159.40%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.69 MAD 6.42

117.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.44 MAD 4.07

115.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.26 MAD 30.17

-7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.13 MAD 38.25

11.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.86 MAD 7.95

60.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.32 MAD 2.93

478.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.25 MAD 11.54

28.80%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.99 MAD 18.45

30.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.90 MAD 101

-24.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.49 MAD 41.52

86.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.20 MAD 85.1

15.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.33 MAD 12.35

97.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.24 MAD 11.47

20.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.92 MAD 8.55

108.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.72 MAD 6.67

190.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.72 MAD 6.70

158.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.74 MAD 6.86

205.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.42 MAD 3.91

152.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.59 MAD 5.45

84.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.38 MAD 40.55

-5.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.51 MAD 106

-9.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.85 MAD 26.38

-39.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.77 MAD 25.65

-5.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.42 MAD 3.92

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$16.56 MAD 153

62.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.39 MAD 3.61

702.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.48 MAD 4.40

422.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.27 MAD 39.53

-26.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.48 MAD 13.74

-14.19%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$37.7K MAD 348.6K

-19.39%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.3K MAD 262.2K

-16.85%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$37.11 MAD 343

123.66%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$10.79 MAD 99.8

110.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$33.11 MAD 306

-11.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$24.20 MAD 224

110.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$19.26 MAD 178

-4.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.40 MAD 40.70

12.05%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$151 MAD 1,399

30.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,629 MAD 15.1K

224.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$44.80 MAD 414

-17.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$40.23 MAD 372

-0.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$57.6 MAD 532

39.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$55.0 MAD 508

62.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$271 MAD 2,507

252.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$175 MAD 1,620

172.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$423 MAD 3,916

288.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$286 MAD 2,645

328.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$934 MAD 8,638

319.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$633 MAD 5,858

920.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$506 MAD 4,679

31.88%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Meknes: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $271 in Meknes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 32% 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 $13.00 in Meknes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 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 91% 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 32% 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 $271 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 $13.00 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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $666 in Meknes – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $666 in Meknes versus $1,271 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 $666 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 91% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.