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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $922 in Moka, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,530 in Moka, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,137 in Moka, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 41% more than Moka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Moka are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Moka 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$6.31 MUR 295

89.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$27.95 MUR 1,308

69.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.77 MUR 317

73.56%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$4.25 MUR 199

-3.06%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.06 MUR 49.50

32.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.33 MUR 15.45

175.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.70 MUR 127

18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.29 MUR 154

114.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.46 MUR 68.3

15.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.93 MUR 43.41

131.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.66 MUR 77.7

6.63%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$3.14 MUR 147

-10.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$10.60 MUR 496

-12.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$15.06 MUR 705

-16.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.04 MUR 142

-2.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.68 MUR 78.7

-5.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$4.18 MUR 196

-46.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$4.18 MUR 196

-43.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.04 MUR 48.72

91.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.04 MUR 48.74

90.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.99 MUR 46.54

25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.57 MUR 26.65

112.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$6.37 MUR 298

-27.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$10.16 MUR 476

3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.20 MUR 103

-23.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.29 MUR 107

20.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$3.24 MUR 152

61.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.61 MUR 75.4

-4.35%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$25.8K MUR 1.2M

-11.77%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$42.4K MUR 2.0M

-39.16%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

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

$25.19 MX$427

$4.31 MUR 202

484.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$23.87 MUR 1,117

33.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$21.51 MUR 1,007

219.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.87 MUR 275

-17.21%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$127 MUR 5,939

77.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$84.3 MUR 3,945

-43.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$42.08 MUR 1,970

3.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$94.9 MUR 4,439

-15.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$78.3 MUR 3,664

16.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$519 MUR 24.3K

109.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$315 MUR 14.8K

29.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$891 MUR 41.7K

121.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$708 MUR 33.1K

81.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$697 MUR 32.6K

10.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

90.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Moka: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $519 in Moka. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.00 in Moka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $256 – making Moka 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 Moka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 41%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,384 in Moka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Moka, 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $922 in Moka. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $127 in Moka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Moka, where all-in costs run around $922, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Moka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Moka – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Moka. 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.