Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Menzel Temime Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Menzel Temime

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $620 in Menzel Temime.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $998 in Menzel Temime.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,375 in Menzel Temime.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 103% more expensive than Menzel Temime, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Menzel Temime 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$3.33 TND 9.60

250.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$20.70 TND 59.6

102.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$3.32 TND 9.56

213.25%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$0.72 TND 2.07

401.39%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$0.60 TND 1.71

145.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.25 TND 0.72

264.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.57 TND 4.51

92.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$1.92 TND 5.54

132.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$0.53 TND 1.54

160.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$0.17 TND 0.49

982.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.51 TND 4.34

6.62%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$1.64 TND 4.71

56.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$11.39 TND 32.80

-25.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$5.77 TND 16.61

47.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$13.24 TND 38.13

-16.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.23 TND 6.43

22.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$3.09 TND 8.90

-51.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.04 TND 3.00

88.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$0.74 TND 2.14

186.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$0.74 TND 2.14

151.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$0.71 TND 2.05

205.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.51 TND 1.48

109.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.33 TND 0.96

218.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$3.63 TND 10.47

15.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$5.25 TND 15.13

95.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.15 TND 3.32

45.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$1.07 TND 3.08

132.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.36 TND 1.02

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$9.96 TND 28.69

163.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$0.32 TND 0.93

868.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.33 TND 0.96

645.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$7.61 TND 21.93

-57.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$0.88 TND 2.54

43.18%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$36.1K TND 104.0K

-16.50%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$34.3K TND 98.8K

-31.63%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$45.14 TND 130

86.07%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$9.34 TND 26.90

137.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$15.03 TND 43.28

97.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$29.89 TND 86.1

76.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$12.88 TND 37.09

42.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$4.47 TND 12.88

10.74%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$108 TND 311

83.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$2,514 TND 7,241

111.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$45.24 TND 130

-20.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$44.54 TND 128

-10.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$99.7 TND 287

-20.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$66.1 TND 190

30.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$198 TND 571

392.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$136 TND 391

247.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$377 TND 1,086

322.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$269 TND 774

352.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$994 TND 2,862

305.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$593 TND 1,707

1010.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.6

-16.03%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Menzel Temime: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $198 in Menzel Temime. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $21 in Menzel Temime for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $188 per month, with Menzel Temime 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 Menzel Temime: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Menzel Temime is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $931 in Menzel Temime 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $198 in Menzel Temime. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $108 in Menzel Temime. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $620 in Menzel Temime versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Menzel Temime but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Menzel Temime the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Menzel Temime is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Menzel Temime 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 Menzel Temime gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.