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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $931 in Moka, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,586 in Moka, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,242 in Moka, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 35% more than Moka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Moka are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Moka 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.46 MUR 304

85.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$44.21 MUR 2,077

-5.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.74 MUR 317

59.50%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.65 MUR 124

32.08%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.03 MUR 48.39

40.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.60 MUR 28.35

46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.16 MUR 101

36.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.70 MUR 127

67.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.40 MUR 65.9

2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.70 MUR 32.65

162.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.29 MUR 60.5

21.71%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.23 MUR 105

12.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.13 MUR 476

-18.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.17 MUR 290

36.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.64 MUR 500

0.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.98 MUR 92.8

31.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.96 MUR 92.2

-26.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.44 MUR 67.7

36.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.73 MUR 128

-23.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.02 MUR 48.04

81.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.99 MUR 46.73

119.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.84 MUR 39.58

22.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.47 MUR 22.01

127.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$5.87 MUR 276

-30.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$10.20 MUR 479

-0.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.78 MUR 83.4

-5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.67 MUR 78.5

51.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.05 MUR 49.25

-51.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$12.99 MUR 610

100.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.68 MUR 126

20.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.64 MUR 124

-8.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$15.55 MUR 731

-79.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.38 MUR 64.9

-4.35%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$36.0K MUR 1.7M

-17.57%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

-16.53%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$49.81 MUR 2,340

64.65%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$18.48 MUR 868

24.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$26.86 MUR 1,262

12.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$24.58 MUR 1,155

111.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.99 MUR 281

-16.86%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$154 MUR 7,217

28.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,002 MUR 188.0K

33.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$74.9 MUR 3,516

-52.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$36.58 MUR 1,718

10.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$93.8 MUR 4,405

-16.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$56.0 MUR 2,628

58.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$524 MUR 24.6K

80.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$329 MUR 15.5K

43.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$936 MUR 44.0K

75.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$703 MUR 33.0K

72.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$677 MUR 31.8K

-3.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.25

82.72%

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 Moka: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $524 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 4% higher in Moka, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $44.00 in Moka. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $216 in Moka – so Moka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 35%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,396 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.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $154 in Moka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Moka, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.