Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mlava

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,401 in Mlava, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mlava outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Mlava
Learn more

Mlava Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Mlava

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,401

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Mlava

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Mlava actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,401 in Mlava.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Mlava $1,401

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,989 in Mlava.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Mlava $1,989

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,577 in Mlava.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Mlava $2,577

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 14% less than in Mlava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Mlava is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$10.04 zł 39.02

8.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$25.85 zł 100

71.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$7.68 zł 29.86

53.13%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.50 zł 9.70

47.20%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.85 zł 7.21

-27.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.63 zł 6.34

-49.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$2.57 zł 10.00

19.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$3.73 zł 14.49

32.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.04 zł 4.06

41.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.66 zł 6.44

33.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$0.91 zł 3.53

62.64%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$3.82 zł 14.84

-34.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$8.77 zł 34.07

-14.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$7.15 zł 27.77

11.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$11.70 zł 45.44

7.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$1.36 zł 5.27

104.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.68 zł 6.52

-14.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.60 zł 6.23

63.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$3.20 zł 12.42

-33.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.97 zł 3.78

108.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.36 zł 5.29

46.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.10 zł 4.27

3.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.65 zł 2.53

84.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$4.80 zł 18.66

-11.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$6.39 zł 24.82

56.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.05 zł 4.07

46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.41 zł 5.48

88.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.09 zł 4.22

-51.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$30.12 zł 117

-8.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$2.13 zł 8.28

130.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.84 zł 3.27

308.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$9.89 zł 38.41

-45.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.60 zł 6.23

-9.38%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$30.9K zł 120.1K

-31.56%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$27.7K zł 107.6K

-16.89%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$278 zł 1,081

-69.32%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$6.20 zł 24.09

278.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$7.53 zł 29.27

277.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$37.75 zł 147

64.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$22.24 zł 86.4

28.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$5.06 zł 19.66

0.79%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$328 zł 1,273

-38.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$5,091 zł 19.8K

-22.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$81.4 zł 316

-45.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$36.08 zł 140

14.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$89.1 zł 346

-18.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$76.4 zł 297

17.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$600 zł 2,332

63.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$505 zł 1,961

-26.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$987 zł 3,833

70.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$805 zł 3,130

35.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,950 zł 11.5K

33.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$2,201 zł 8,550

178.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$1,021 zł 3,967

-27.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.89

66.18%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Mlava: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Mlava

$505 36% 35.4% $132

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Mlava

$221 15.8% 14.5% $37

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Mlava

$168 12% 16.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Mlava

$292 20.8% 113% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Mlava

$127 9.1% 14.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Mlava

$48 3.4% 33.9% $25

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Mlava

$41 2.9% 21.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $600 in Mlava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mlava pays 38% 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: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Mlava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $221 per month, with Mlava cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇱 Mlava

🕒 Local time

18:29 6:29 PM

01:29 1:29 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

31,130

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Mlava 9,280 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Mlava

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 38% 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: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $600 in Mlava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $328 in Mlava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Mlava pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,401 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 16% less than in Mlava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.