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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,078 in Midlands, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,741 in Midlands, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,405 in Midlands, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Midlands, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Midlands are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Midlands 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.67 MUR 314

77.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$44.23 MUR 2,083

-3.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.20 MUR 339

47.92%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.54 MUR 119

35.83%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.95 MUR 44.91

57.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.59 MUR 27.91

61.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.23 MUR 105

35.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.32 MUR 156

38.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.68 MUR 79.2

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.71 MUR 33.50

160.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.32 MUR 62.1

21.97%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.35 MUR 111

10.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.71 MUR 551

-29.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.11 MUR 288

36.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.51 MUR 589

-14.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.99 MUR 93.6

32.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.01 MUR 94.7

-25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.51 MUR 71.1

27.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.71 MUR 128

-22.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.99 MUR 46.48

87.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.93 MUR 43.70

143.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.79 MUR 37.14

34.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.81 MUR 38.22

34.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.50 MUR 306

-36.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.25 MUR 389

25.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.72 MUR 81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.21 MUR 104

18.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.01 MUR 47.34

-46.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.49 MUR 211

-30.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.75 MUR 129

-8.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$20.01 MUR 942

-84.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.40 MUR 66.0

-9.29%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

-14.91%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

-18.99%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$49.38 MUR 2,325

68.08%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$18.03 MUR 849

25.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$33.05 MUR 1,556

-10.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.69 MUR 1,775

35.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.89 MUR 277

-16.30%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$155 MUR 7,285

27.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,035 MUR 190.0K

30.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$86.4 MUR 4,069

-57.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$79.5 MUR 3,745

-49.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$130 MUR 6,128

-38.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$95.5 MUR 4,495

-6.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$515 MUR 24.3K

85.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$358 MUR 16.9K

33.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$930 MUR 43.8K

77.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$717 MUR 33.8K

70.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Midlands: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $515 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 – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $231 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 18% 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,617 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,078 in Midlands. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $155 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 $1,078, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $1,078 versus $1,271 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.