Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Menorca

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,643 in Menorca, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Menorca outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,215
/mo nomad
Menorca
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Menorca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Menorca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,643 in Menorca.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,215
  • Menorca $1,643

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,411 in Menorca.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,144
  • Menorca $2,411

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,178 in Menorca.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,072
  • Menorca $3,178

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 26% less than in Menorca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 9% below, Menorca is 23% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Menorca
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.97 MX$200
$14.93 €13.37
-26.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.85 MX$819
$57.0 €51.0
-21.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.92 MX$218
$10.21 €9.15
16.75%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$69.5
$2.23 €2.00
70.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$23.95
$2.40 €2.15
-45.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 MX$15.63
$1.79 €1.60
-51.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.21 MX$58.6
$3.26 €2.92
-1.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.01 MX$91.5
$3.54 €3.17
41.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Menorca
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 MX$26.62
$1.19 €1.07
22.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 MX$42.48
$1.36 €1.22
71.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.34
$1.67 €1.50
-13.77%
Eggs
$2.46 MX$44.94
$2.93 €2.63
-16.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.70 MX$141
$13.44 €12.04
-42.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.89 MX$144
$8.20 €7.34
-3.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.80 MX$234
$15.02 €13.46
-14.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.92 MX$53.3
$2.50 €2.24
16.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 MX$25.96
$2.02 €1.81
-29.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 MX$46.84
$1.96 €1.76
31.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.02
$2.63 €2.36
-18.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.55
$1.73 €1.55
12.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 MX$35.35
$1.95 €1.75
-0.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.01
$1.30 €1.17
-11.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.29
$0.76 €0.68
60.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.38 MX$79.9
$6.26 €5.61
-30.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.85 MX$180
$5.98 €5.35
64.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.07
$1.25 €1.12
23.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 MX$49.58
$2.02 €1.81
34.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Menorca
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 MX$9.58
$1.66 €1.48
-68.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.42 MX$501
$34.27 €30.70
-19.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.91 MX$89.7
$4.08 €3.65
20.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.52 MX$64.3
$1.21 €1.08
190.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.69 MX$104
$24.62 €22.06
-76.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 MX$28.12
$1.80 €1.61
-14.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$387.8K
$38.2K €34.3K
-44.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$447.1K
$29.8K €26.7K
-17.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Menorca
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.6 MX$1,527
$138 €123
-39.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.03 MX$439
$20.82 €18.65
15.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.33 MX$536
$31.52 €28.24
-6.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Menorca
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 MX$1,184
$47.72 €42.75
35.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.46 MX$538
$15.11 €13.54
94.97%
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MX$92.9
$9.50 €8.51
-46.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Menorca
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$208 MX$3,792
$412 €369
-49.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,045 MX$73.9K
$8,237 €7,379
-50.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Menorca
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.55 MX$813
$85.5 €76.6
-47.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.06 MX$768
$35.66 €31.94
17.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 MX$1,379
$88.6 €79.3
-14.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.4 MX$1,668
$109 €97.7
-16.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Menorca
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$986 MX$18.0K
$861 €772
14.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$385 MX$7,033
$691 €619
-44.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,713 MX$31.3K
$1,302 €1,166
31.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,108 MX$20.2K
$992 €889
11.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,016 MX$73.3K
$3,352 €3,003
19.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,247 MX$114.1K
$2,329 €2,086
168.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Menorca
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$758 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.5
227.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Menorca: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$385
Menorca
$691 79.4% $306
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$260
Menorca
$262 0.5% $1.3
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$204
Menorca
$217 6.4% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Menorca
$190 38.7% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$114
Menorca
$143 25.8% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$75
Menorca
$67 11.1% $8.3
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Menorca
$51 2% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Playa del Carmen and $861 in Menorca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $57.0 in Menorca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $262 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇪🇸 Menorca
🕒 Local time
01:49 1:49 AM
08:49 8:49 AM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
102,477
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.26 MXN (100 MXN = 5.48 USD). 1 EUR = 20.46 MXN (100 MXN = 4.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Menorca 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Menorca

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Menorca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Menorca cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,823 in Playa del Carmen and $2,464 in Menorca to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Menorca?
Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $861 in Menorca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Menorca?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $57.0 in Menorca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Menorca?
All in, you'll spend $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,643 in Menorca – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Menorca?
At $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,643 in Menorca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Menorca. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Playa del Carmen or Menorca more family-friendly?
For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Menorca, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or Menorca?
Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Menorca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Menorca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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