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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,065 in Midlands, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,709 in Midlands, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,353 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

$11.72 MX$203

$6.77 MUR 317

73.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$44.86 MUR 2,101

-6.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.07 MUR 331

48.66%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.55 MUR 119

40.78%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.96 MUR 45.02

57.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.60 MUR 28.01

53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.18 MUR 102

35.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.31 MUR 155

33.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.69 MUR 79.1

-17.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.70 MUR 32.93

168.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.28 MUR 60.1

21.88%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.25 MUR 105

16.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$12.07 MUR 565

-31.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.13 MUR 287

36.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$12.49 MUR 585

-13.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.08 MUR 97.2

30.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.93 MUR 90.4

-21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.51 MUR 70.7

23.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.64 MUR 123

-17.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.02 MUR 48.01

82.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.95 MUR 44.30

134.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.85 MUR 39.64

25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.75 MUR 35.09

45.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.76 MUR 317

-38.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.56 MUR 401

21.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.79 MUR 83.8

-7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.23 MUR 104

17.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.04 MUR 48.73

-48.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.51 MUR 211

-31.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.72 MUR 128

-11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$19.45 MUR 911

-83.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.46 MUR 68.4

-10.27%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$35.3K MUR 1.7M

-15.63%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

-18.13%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$48.57 MUR 2,275

67.35%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$18.04 MUR 845

25.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$33.05 MUR 1,548

-9.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$37.65 MUR 1,763

40.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.88 MUR 276

-16.33%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$152 MUR 7,110

32.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,018 MUR 188.2K

28.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$83.7 MUR 3,922

-57.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$79.8 MUR 3,738

-49.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$131 MUR 6,127

-39.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$96.1 MUR 4,501

-10.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$519 MUR 24.3K

88.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$347 MUR 16.2K

35.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$955 MUR 44.8K

72.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$721 MUR 33.8K

67.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Midlands: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $519 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Midlands. Groceries tell a different story – $252 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,598 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,065 in Midlands. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 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 $1,065, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $1,065 versus $1,260 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.