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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $613 in Midlands, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,035 in Midlands, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,457 in Midlands, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 106% more than Midlands, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Midlands are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Midlands 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$5.96 MUR 283

94.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$37.62 MUR 1,787

25.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.22 MUR 343

64.54%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.63 MUR 125

51.33%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.15 MUR 54.5

24.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.61 MUR 28.97

34.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.68 MUR 127

19.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.85 MUR 231

40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.61 MUR 76.4

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.74 MUR 35.26

197.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.15 MUR 54.5

48.70%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.58 MUR 122

6.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$5.20 MUR 247

84.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.46 MUR 307

39.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$11.28 MUR 536

13.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.86 MUR 136

1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.70 MUR 128

-44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.45 MUR 69.0

48.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.95 MUR 140

-23.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.95 MUR 45.33

108.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.01 MUR 47.89

97.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.69 MUR 32.97

78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.87 MUR 41.18

37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$6.51 MUR 309

-30.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.26 MUR 392

25.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.64 MUR 78.1

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.31 MUR 110

24.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$4.28 MUR 203

25.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$3.10 MUR 147

20.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$20.80 MUR 988

-72.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.35 MUR 64.1

14.07%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$36.8K MUR 1.8M

-38.81%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$30.9K MUR 1.5M

-15.80%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$45.44 MUR 2,159

101.10%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$10.65 MUR 506

136.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$28.64 MUR 1,360

9.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$6.41 MUR 305

-24.18%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$127 MUR 6,018

76.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$7,573 MUR 359.7K

-44.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$78.8 MUR 3,744

-40.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$75.6 MUR 3,590

-41.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$120 MUR 5,700

-33.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$76.7 MUR 3,645

20.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.67

71.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Midlands: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Midlands. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $219 – making Midlands the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 106% 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $920 in Midlands. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $613 in Midlands. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $127 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 $613, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $613 versus $1,266 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.