Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Midlands Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Midlands

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,075 in Midlands, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,755 in Midlands, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,434 in Midlands, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 20% more than Midlands, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Midlands are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Midlands 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.71 MUR 314

77.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$44.01 MUR 2,059

-2.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.20 MUR 337

47.08%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.69 MUR 126

34.57%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.95 MUR 44.31

54.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.60 MUR 28.09

56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.24 MUR 105

37.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.21 MUR 150

38.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.67 MUR 78.2

-14.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.71 MUR 32.99

164.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.27 MUR 59.4

28.35%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.25 MUR 105

17.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$12.06 MUR 564

-31.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.22 MUR 291

33.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$12.70 MUR 594

-12.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.04 MUR 95.5

29.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.04 MUR 95.4

-26.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.45 MUR 68.1

37.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.64 MUR 124

-21.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.99 MUR 46.22

80.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.93 MUR 43.36

134.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.84 MUR 39.31

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.81 MUR 37.88

28.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$6.78 MUR 317

-41.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.37 MUR 392

21.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.71 MUR 80.1

1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.14 MUR 100

16.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.03 MUR 48.30

-49.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$4.37 MUR 205

-28.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.74 MUR 128

-12.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$19.93 MUR 933

-84.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.45 MUR 68.0

-12.41%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$35.1K MUR 1.6M

-12.00%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$28.7K MUR 1.3M

-18.62%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$48.65 MUR 2,276

68.57%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$18.58 MUR 869

20.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$33.46 MUR 1,566

-11.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$37.83 MUR 1,770

37.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.01 MUR 281

-17.30%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$152 MUR 7,117

30.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,933 MUR 184.0K

34.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$85.0 MUR 3,975

-57.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$78.3 MUR 3,664

-48.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$133 MUR 6,243

-40.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$93.9 MUR 4,391

-5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$509 MUR 23.8K

89.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$357 MUR 16.7K

30.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$932 MUR 43.6K

71.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$730 MUR 34.1K

65.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Midlands: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $509 in Midlands. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $44.00 in Midlands. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $232 in Midlands – so Midlands wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Midlands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 20% more than Midlands, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,613 in Midlands. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Midlands, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,075 in Midlands. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $152 in Midlands. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Midlands, where all-in costs run around $1,075, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Midlands it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Midlands costs $1,075 versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Midlands. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.