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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $632 in Menzel Temime.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,004 in Menzel Temime.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,377 in Menzel Temime.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 101% more expensive than Menzel Temime, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Menzel Temime 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$3.38 TND 9.82

251.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$19.98 TND 58.0

114.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$3.36 TND 9.77

216.96%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$0.77 TND 2.23

348.05%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$0.61 TND 1.76

145.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.23 TND 0.67

313.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.50 TND 4.35

102.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$2.00 TND 5.81

130.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$0.51 TND 1.47

170.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.16 TND 0.47

1056.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$1.48 TND 4.31

8.78%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$1.57 TND 4.57

64.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$11.18 TND 32.49

-26.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$5.65 TND 16.40

48.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$13.67 TND 39.70

-22.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$2.26 TND 6.55

16.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$2.98 TND 8.66

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$1.00 TND 2.92

92.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$0.70 TND 2.03

198.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$0.79 TND 2.29

135.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$0.73 TND 2.11

209.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$0.51 TND 1.48

107.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$0.31 TND 0.89

251.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$3.61 TND 10.48

14.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$5.11 TND 14.86

103.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$1.14 TND 3.30

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$1.10 TND 3.19

137.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$0.35 TND 1.03

54.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

$10.01 TND 29.07

169.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$0.30 TND 0.86

943.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$0.33 TND 0.96

660.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$7.26 TND 21.10

-56.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$0.89 TND 2.57

42.70%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$36.3K TND 105.4K

-16.25%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$34.4K TND 100.0K

-31.55%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$46.37 TND 135

79.00%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$9.81 TND 28.50

131.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$15.07 TND 43.77

95.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

$29.73 TND 86.4

71.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

$12.75 TND 37.04

43.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$4.71 TND 13.67

4.67%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$107 TND 311

84.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$2,513 TND 7,300

110.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$44.63 TND 130

-17.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$43.40 TND 126

-8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$101 TND 293

-20.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$66.3 TND 192

35.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$200 TND 580

379.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

$135 TND 393

252.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

$381 TND 1,106

332.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$274 TND 797

346.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$892 TND 2,592

339.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

$594 TND 1,725

987.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Menzel Temime: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $200 in Menzel Temime. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in Menzel Temime for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $186 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 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $948 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $200 in Menzel Temime. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $107 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 $632 in Menzel Temime versus $1,271 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 101% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.