Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Motril Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Motril

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,461 in Motril.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,185 in Motril.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,909 in Motril.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 11% less than in Motril, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Motril is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$14.17 €12.19

-17.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$47.12 €40.55

-1.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$7.18 €6.18

62.26%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$1.92 €1.65

113.02%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$2.16 €1.85

-36.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$1.18 €1.02

-29.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$3.08 €2.65

8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.45 €2.97

100.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.14 €0.98

51.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$1.71 €1.47

32.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$1.64 €1.41

7.93%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$3.46 €2.98

-21.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$13.98 €12.03

-34.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.73 €4.07

88.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$16.45 €14.15

-23.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$2.27 €1.95

33.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$2.08 €1.79

-24.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$1.86 €1.60

14.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$2.62 €2.25

-13.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$1.71 €1.47

16.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$2.10 €1.81

-1.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$1.57 €1.35

-24.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$0.76 €0.66

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$6.71 €5.77

-31.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$6.20 €5.33

72.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$1.17 €1.00

38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$2.04 €1.76

41.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$1.64 €1.41

-65.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

$36.45 €31.37

-18.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$1.74 €1.50

213.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$1.09 €0.94

239.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$15.18 €13.07

-60.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.73 €1.49

-10.40%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$26.8K €23.0K

-16.60%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$30.4K €26.1K

-14.52%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$82.5 €71.0

8.00%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$16.14 €13.89

55.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$23.36 €20.10

34.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$53.2 €45.78

27.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$16.57 €14.26

74.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$6.87 €5.91

-26.49%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$255 €220

-11.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$8,258 €7,106

-48.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$34.97 €30.09

35.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$28.93 €24.89

55.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$80.1 €69.0

2.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$46.80 €40.27

96.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$915 €788

16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$713 €613

-43.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,403 €1,207

37.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$1,047 €901

24.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$3,417 €2,941

16.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$2,289 €1,970

189.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$1,736 €1,494

-56.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

281.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Motril: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $915 in Motril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Motril pays 132% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $47.00 in Motril. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $255, with Motril cheaper for home cooking.

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 Motril: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Motril differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $1,461 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 132% lower in Motril. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $915 in Motril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $47.00 in Motril. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,461 in Motril – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,461 in Motril, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Motril. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Motril, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Motril are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Motril. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.