Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mossel Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mossel Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $978 in Mossel Bay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,578 in Mossel Bay, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,178 in Mossel Bay, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 30% more than Mossel Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mossel Bay are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Mossel Bay 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$13.70 R 222

-13.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$44.89 R 726

-4.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.02 R 130

32.79%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.41 R 38.99

43.15%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.29 R 20.91

16.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.88 R 14.26

7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.28 R 36.83

32.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.84 R 45.92

62.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.03 R 16.60

33.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.05 R 16.98

76.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.14 R 34.53

-24.77%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.92 R 47.13

-11.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.57 R 139

-3.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.77 R 77.1

75.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.27 R 118

46.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.64 R 26.57

60.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.03 R 16.63

44.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.50 R 24.21

28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.89 R 30.49

10.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.89 R 30.50

-1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.60 R 25.90

41.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.04 R 16.78

1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.16 R 18.81

-6.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.26 R 52.7

27.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$4.84 R 78.2

114.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.52 R 24.63

13.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.57 R 41.55

1.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.69 R 27.29

-68.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.13 R 18.31

176.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.10 R 17.76

128.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.15 R 67.0

-24.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.28 R 20.62

-0.78%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.9K R 322.1K

52.45%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$19.7K R 318.4K

19.67%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$88.8 R 1,435

-6.48%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$16.67 R 270

36.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$39.57 R 640

-25.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$20.18 R 326

152.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$13.67 R 221

34.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.71 R 109

-26.53%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$116 R 1,878

69.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,573 R 25.4K

235.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$42.09 R 680

-12.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$22.03 R 356

81.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$76.9 R 1,243

4.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$61.4 R 992

45.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$465 R 7,524

105.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$334 R 5,406

42.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$943 R 15.2K

74.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$630 R 10.2K

94.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$595 R 9,626

558.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$608 R 9,836

961.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,511 R 24.4K

-55.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.12

-5.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mossel Bay: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $465 in Mossel Bay. 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 127% higher in Mossel Bay, 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Mossel Bay. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $192 in Mossel Bay – so Mossel Bay 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 Mossel Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $978 in Mossel Bay – roughly 30% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,468 in Mossel Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mossel Bay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $45.00 in Mossel Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mossel Bay, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Mossel Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $978 in Mossel Bay to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Mossel Bay. 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.