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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $979 in Mossel Bay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,585 in Mossel Bay, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,192 in Mossel Bay, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 29% 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 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$13.18 R 217

-11.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$45.45 R 748

-7.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.23 R 136

27.70%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.31 R 38.06

55.41%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.25 R 20.56

20.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.93 R 15.25

-1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.23 R 36.70

32.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.72 R 44.83

62.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.07 R 17.61

30.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.03 R 16.99

82.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.12 R 34.97

-26.42%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.88 R 47.37

-9.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.61 R 142

-3.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.96 R 81.6

68.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.53 R 124

44.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.65 R 27.08

64.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.04 R 17.12

45.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.45 R 23.86

28.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.87 R 30.82

17.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.80 R 29.64

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.56 R 25.67

42.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.99 R 16.27

8.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.13 R 18.56

-3.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.28 R 53.9

27.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$4.82 R 79.3

116.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.51 R 24.92

9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.47 R 40.67

5.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.66 R 27.39

-67.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.10 R 18.10

180.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.06 R 17.50

126.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$3.91 R 64.4

-19.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.32 R 21.69

-0.76%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$19.5K R 320.9K

52.90%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$19.2K R 316.5K

21.32%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$86.4 R 1,422

-5.89%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$16.68 R 275

35.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$39.42 R 649

-23.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$19.58 R 322

170.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$13.50 R 222

36.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.84 R 113

-28.07%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$120 R 1,972

67.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$1,586 R 26.1K

226.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$42.59 R 701

-15.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$22.17 R 365

81.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$76.7 R 1,263

3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$62.4 R 1,027

38.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$462 R 7,601

111.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$339 R 5,588

38.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$943 R 15.5K

75.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$644 R 10.6K

87.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$608 R 10.0K

550.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$601 R 9,888

1000.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$1,473 R 24.3K

-54.07%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mossel Bay: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $462 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 118% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Mossel Bay. Groceries tell a different story – $252 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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $979 in Mossel Bay – roughly 29% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 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 $42.00 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 31% 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 $979, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $979 in Mossel Bay to $1,260 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.