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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $671 in Menzel Temime.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,057 in Menzel Temime.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,443 in Menzel Temime.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 94% more expensive than in Menzel Temime, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Menzel Temime 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.34 TND 9.65

258.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$20.51 TND 59.2

131.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.29 TND 15.26

122.12%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$0.71 TND 2.04

480.28%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.65 TND 1.87

115.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.26 TND 0.74

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.62 TND 4.67

98.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.04 TND 5.88

246.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.47 TND 1.34

257.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.23 TND 0.66

834.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.39 TND 4.00

27.34%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.61 TND 4.64

75.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$12.86 TND 37.11

-28.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.66 TND 16.32

63.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$14.59 TND 42.09

-13.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.84 TND 5.32

60.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$3.24 TND 9.36

-51.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.07 TND 3.09

107.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$0.71 TND 2.05

232.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.85 TND 2.44

134.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.78 TND 2.26

153.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.58 TND 1.68

113.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.35 TND 1.02

245.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.76 TND 10.85

22.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$6.68 TND 19.27

57.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.15 TND 3.32

46.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.07 TND 3.08

158.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.36 TND 1.04

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$10.76 TND 31.06

176.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$0.32 TND 0.92

1537.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.35 TND 1.02

942.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$7.71 TND 22.23

-25.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.89 TND 2.58

73.03%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$37.6K TND 108.6K

-39.40%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$35.1K TND 101.4K

-26.53%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$46.57 TND 134

94.70%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$9.97 TND 28.77

152.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$14.87 TND 42.90

113.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$27.03 TND 78.0

154.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$14.27 TND 41.19

105.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.68 TND 13.52

3.85%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$98.8 TND 285

128.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$2,482 TND 7,160

69.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$43.68 TND 126

8.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$36.48 TND 105

19.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$114 TND 328

-29.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$69.3 TND 200

31.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$244 TND 703

345.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$160 TND 461

155.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$409 TND 1,180

382.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$250 TND 720

413.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$960 TND 2,770

321.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$724 TND 2,088

826.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

13.6

-15.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Menzel Temime: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $244 in Menzel Temime. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Menzel Temime for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $198 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 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,007 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $244 in Menzel Temime. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $98.8 in Menzel Temime. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $671 in Menzel Temime versus $1,305 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 94% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.