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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $938 in Moka, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,584 in Moka, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,230 in Moka, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 38% more than Moka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Moka are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Moka 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.55 MUR 309

79.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$44.24 MUR 2,090

-5.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.64 MUR 314

60.24%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.57 MUR 122

36.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.95 MUR 44.79

58.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.61 MUR 28.60

59.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.16 MUR 102

36.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.76 MUR 130

61.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.43 MUR 67.5

-3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.66 MUR 31.35

186.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.27 MUR 60.2

29.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.27 MUR 107

10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.72 MUR 459

-14.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.04 MUR 285

38.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.31 MUR 487

4.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.99 MUR 93.9

30.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.93 MUR 91.1

-24.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.45 MUR 68.4

31.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.70 MUR 128

-22.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.03 MUR 48.60

72.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.00 MUR 47.11

119.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.83 MUR 39.29

25.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.47 MUR 22.35

129.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$5.97 MUR 282

-31.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.21 MUR 388

25.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.78 MUR 84.1

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.66 MUR 78.6

55.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.00 MUR 47.18

-49.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$13.16 MUR 622

101.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.68 MUR 127

21.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$2.72 MUR 129

-8.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$15.33 MUR 724

-78.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.38 MUR 65.3

-5.07%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$35.3K MUR 1.7M

-14.20%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

-18.97%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$48.75 MUR 2,303

69.99%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$18.01 MUR 851

23.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$26.82 MUR 1,267

9.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$24.30 MUR 1,148

112.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.20 MUR 293

-18.23%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$153 MUR 7,243

30.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,980 MUR 188.0K

30.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$77.2 MUR 3,647

-52.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$36.63 MUR 1,731

8.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$92.9 MUR 4,390

-15.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$55.9 MUR 2,643

55.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$516 MUR 24.4K

88.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$327 MUR 15.5K

42.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$948 MUR 44.8K

73.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$705 MUR 33.3K

73.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$321 MUR 15.2K

106.71%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Moka: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $516 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 107% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $44.00 in Moka. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $209 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 38%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,406 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 $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $153 in Moka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% 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 $938, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.