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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,443 in Mlava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,079 in Mlava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,715 in Mlava.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 13% less than in Mlava, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Mlava is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$10.87 zł 41.23

10.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$26.92 zł 102

55.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$8.50 zł 32.26

26.47%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.66 zł 10.08

31.58%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.98 zł 7.50

-26.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$1.80 zł 6.84

-51.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.77 zł 10.49

6.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$4.06 zł 15.39

11.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.02 zł 3.86

40.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.31 zł 4.96

40.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.81 zł 6.85

-13.26%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.48 zł 13.19

-27.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.28 zł 35.21

-10.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.51 zł 24.70

29.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$13.24 zł 50.2

-19.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.04 zł 3.96

150.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.82 zł 6.91

-20.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.03 zł 7.70

-3.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.76 zł 10.48

-24.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.98 zł 3.73

88.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.14 zł 4.33

90.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.40 zł 5.30

-26.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.64 zł 2.44

67.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$5.00 zł 18.95

-18.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.74 zł 25.59

50.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.16 zł 4.41

44.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.51 zł 5.72

67.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.10 zł 4.18

-53.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$32.32 zł 123

-19.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.23 zł 8.46

44.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.83 zł 3.14

190.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$13.65 zł 51.8

-76.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.70 zł 6.44

-22.35%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$33.2K zł 125.8K

-10.43%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$31.1K zł 117.9K

-23.83%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$316 zł 1,198

-74.02%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$6.73 zł 25.53

241.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$8.19 zł 31.09

267.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$36.09 zł 137

44.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$19.75 zł 75.0

-6.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.37 zł 20.36

-7.26%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$378 zł 1,434

-47.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$7,618 zł 28.9K

-29.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$84.1 zł 319

-57.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$42.91 zł 163

-6.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$86.7 zł 329

-9.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$82.3 zł 312

8.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$654 zł 2,480

44.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$497 zł 1,887

-4.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$972 zł 3,689

69.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$824 zł 3,126

46.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,954 zł 11.2K

37.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,300 zł 8,727

181.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,032 zł 3,915

-36.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.01

62.91%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mlava: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $654 in Mlava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mlava pays 58% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Mlava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $223 per month, with Mlava cheaper across the board.

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 Mlava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 58% lower in Mlava. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $654 in Mlava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $378 in Mlava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Mlava pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,443 in Mlava, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mlava. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mlava, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Mlava are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Mlava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.