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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,134 in Mossel Bay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,792 in Mossel Bay, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,451 in Mossel Bay, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 12% 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 7% lower, Mossel Bay 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$14.57 R 239

-20.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$48.43 R 793

-2.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$9.16 R 150

29.69%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.67 R 43.68

49.06%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.43 R 23.35

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.98 R 15.99

-16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.42 R 39.68

31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.05 R 49.88

122.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.14 R 18.61

47.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.15 R 18.75

91.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.69 R 44.03

-36.43%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.12 R 51.1

-12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.37 R 153

2.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.44 R 89.1

65.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.88 R 129

62.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.05 R 33.57

40.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.29 R 21.12

16.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.74 R 28.53

23.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.07 R 33.89

9.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.49 R 24.40

32.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.70 R 27.89

17.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.20 R 19.59

2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.29 R 21.20

-6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.63 R 59.5

25.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.00 R 81.9

107.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$2.19 R 35.93

-26.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.00 R 32.81

44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.42 R 23.30

-57.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.64 R 10.43

742.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.94 R 15.45

296.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$9.79 R 160

-41.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.41 R 23.13

9.22%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$29.8K R 488.9K

-24.45%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$27.7K R 453.9K

-5.97%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$112 R 1,827

-18.06%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$18.30 R 300

37.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$43.69 R 716

-28.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$21.82 R 357

207.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$14.71 R 241

97.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.28 R 119

-33.24%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$253 R 4,145

-11.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$5,576 R 91.3K

-24.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$49.95 R 818

-5.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$21.10 R 346

109.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$108 R 1,761

-25.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$67.6 R 1,108

37.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$522 R 8,555

103.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$365 R 5,979

6.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,055 R 17.3K

103.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$699 R 11.5K

81.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$614 R 10.1K

551.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$611 R 10.0K

964.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,528 R 25.0K

-50.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.75

-2.55%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Mossel Bay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $522 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 102% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $48.00 in Mossel Bay. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $213 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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $1,134 in Mossel Bay – roughly 12% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,700 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $48.00 in Mossel Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% 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 $1,134, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $1,134 in Mossel Bay to $1,266 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.