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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $624 in Menzel Temime.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,015 in Menzel Temime.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,406 in Menzel Temime.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 102% more expensive than in Menzel Temime, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Menzel Temime 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$3.35 TND 9.90

256.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$731

$20.71 TND 61.2

102.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$3.45 TND 10.20

202.03%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.3

$0.76 TND 2.24

361.84%

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

$1.52 MX$26.44

$0.60 TND 1.77

153.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.88

$0.23 TND 0.68

295.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.0

$1.55 TND 4.58

96.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.2

$1.94 TND 5.72

125.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.78

$0.50 TND 1.47

184.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.93

$0.18 TND 0.54

916.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.51

$1.49 TND 4.41

9.40%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$1.57 TND 4.65

61.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$11.22 TND 33.16

-23.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$5.84 TND 17.24

45.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$13.52 TND 39.95

-20.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.04

$2.19 TND 6.46

25.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.05

$3.03 TND 8.97

-52.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.90

$1.06 TND 3.12

78.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$0.68 TND 2.02

219.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.03

$0.73 TND 2.17

143.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.79

$0.72 TND 2.12

208.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.64

$0.48 TND 1.43

122.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.83

$0.31 TND 0.91

248.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.3

$3.63 TND 10.72

14.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$5.18 TND 15.32

101.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.40

$1.15 TND 3.39

51.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.01

$1.05 TND 3.11

145.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.95

$0.36 TND 1.05

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$10.31 TND 30.47

151.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.0

$0.30 TND 0.88

970.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.64

$0.33 TND 0.98

657.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.6

$7.60 TND 22.46

-58.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$0.82 TND 2.42

53.66%

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

$29.7K MX$517.7K

$35.9K TND 106.1K

-17.29%

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

$23.7K MX$413.0K

$34.7K TND 102.6K

-31.82%

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

$82.0 MX$1,430

$46.06 TND 136

78.09%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$9.85 TND 29.11

130.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$513

$15.02 TND 44.37

95.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$910

$29.15 TND 86.1

79.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

$12.76 TND 37.69

44.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$4.50 TND 13.30

9.56%

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

$202 MX$3,519

$108 TND 319

86.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.0K

$2,497 TND 7,378

108.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$627

$44.48 TND 131

-19.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$703

$43.32 TND 128

-6.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,393

$99.8 TND 295

-19.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,557

$64.2 TND 190

39.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$195 TND 576

386.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,114

$133 TND 394

249.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$373 TND 1,102

336.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$276 TND 817

331.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.6K

$975 TND 2,882

303.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.1K

$632 TND 1,866

917.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Menzel Temime: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $195 in Menzel Temime. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Menzel Temime for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $187 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 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,888 in Playa del Carmen and $936 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $195 in Menzel Temime. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 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 35% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $624 in Menzel Temime versus $1,259 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 102% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.