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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,044 in Minas, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,666 in Minas, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,288 in Minas, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 22% more than Minas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Minas are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Minas 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$16.00 UYU 648

-25.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$54.4 UYU 2,207

-21.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$12.35 UYU 501

-13.77%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$4.14 UYU 168

-16.67%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.16 UYU 87.7

-30.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.71 UYU 69.2

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$4.49 UYU 182

-32.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.71 UYU 150

24.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.20 UYU 48.61

15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.78 UYU 113

-33.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.65 UYU 67.0

-2.42%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$4.81 UYU 195

-46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$13.62 UYU 552

-39.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$10.94 UYU 443

-23.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.97 UYU 445

-2.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.03 UYU 123

-13.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.44 UYU 99.0

-38.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.56 UYU 63.2

23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$3.62 UYU 147

-42.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.16 UYU 87.4

-13.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.92 UYU 78.0

17.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.35 UYU 54.9

-21.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.67 UYU 67.7

-34.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.04 UYU 204

-17.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.77 UYU 396

6.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.29 UYU 92.8

-24.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.00 UYU 121

-13.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.62 UYU 65.8

93.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$3.62 UYU 147

-30.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$12.19 UYU 494

-74.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.90 UYU 77.0

-33.16%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

-11.68%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$36.5K UYU 1.5M

-35.48%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$175 UYU 7,090

-52.54%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$16.97 UYU 688

33.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$48.71 UYU 1,975

-39.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$10.47 UYU 425

-52.91%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$490 UYU 19.9K

-59.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,836 UYU 358.2K

-40.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$93.9 UYU 3,808

-60.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$48.20 UYU 1,954

-17.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$112 UYU 4,537

-28.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$121 UYU 4,907

-26.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

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

5.68

101.06%

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 Minas: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $54.0 in Minas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $321 – 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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $1,044 in Minas – roughly 22% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,566 in Minas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,044 in Minas. 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 $490 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 $1,044, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $1,044 in Minas to $1,271 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.