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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,086 in Minas, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,702 in Minas, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,318 in Minas, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% more than Minas, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Minas are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Minas 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$15.03 UYU 604

-22.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$61.6 UYU 2,472

-23.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$13.63 UYU 547

-12.84%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$4.30 UYU 173

-7.44%

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

$1.43 MX$24.58

$2.71 UYU 109

-47.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$2.06 UYU 82.7

-60.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$4.74 UYU 190

-32.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.81 UYU 153

78.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.86

$1.36 UYU 54.6

23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.84

$2.86 UYU 115

-23.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.42

$1.79 UYU 71.8

-4.47%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.21

$4.80 UYU 193

-42.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$13.94 UYU 560

-31.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$11.64 UYU 468

-22.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$11.85 UYU 476

8.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.75

$2.84 UYU 114

1.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.79

$2.85 UYU 114

-47.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.00

$1.71 UYU 68.7

25.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.92

$3.10 UYU 124

-27.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.11

$2.10 UYU 84.5

-5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.27

$2.13 UYU 85.7

-6.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.26

$1.41 UYU 56.5

-12.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.61

$1.97 UYU 79.0

-39.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.4

$5.49 UYU 221

-17.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.19 UYU 329

26.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$2.32 UYU 93.3

-30.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.61

$2.87 UYU 115

0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.76 UYU 30.58

-21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.83 UYU 73.5

194.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.40 UYU 16.24

832.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.4

$10.46 UYU 420

-44.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.46

$2.19 UYU 87.9

-29.68%

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

$22.5K MX$388.4K

$26.9K UYU 1.1M

-16.21%

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

$26.1K MX$448.8K

$36.4K UYU 1.5M

-28.51%

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

$91.4 MX$1,574

$190 UYU 7,616

-51.81%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$17.22 UYU 691

46.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$45.16 UYU 1,814

-30.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,158

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$12.22 UYU 491

-60.23%

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

$224 MX$3,852

$616 UYU 24.8K

-63.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$10.8K UYU 434.9K

-60.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$95.9 UYU 3,852

-50.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$55.9 UYU 2,246

-20.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,380

$124 UYU 4,969

-35.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$132 UYU 5,286

-29.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,721

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.49

108.56%

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 Minas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $62.0 in Minas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $331 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Minas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $1,086 in Minas – roughly 17% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,629 in Minas. 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 $1,086 in Minas. 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 $616 in Minas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Minas, where all-in costs run around $1,086, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Minas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,086 in Minas to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Minas. 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.