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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $672 in Msaken.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,081 in Msaken.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,490 in Msaken.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 93% more expensive than in Msaken, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Msaken 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$5.05 TND 14.59

131.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$22.27 TND 64.4

109.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$6.08 TND 17.60

91.61%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$1.05 TND 3.03

289.52%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.75 TND 2.18

82.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.38 TND 1.11

118.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.69 TND 4.89

98.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.74 TND 7.93

152.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$0.49 TND 1.41

253.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$0.33 TND 0.96

584.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$1.79 TND 5.18

-1.12%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$1.67 TND 4.82

63.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$14.31 TND 41.37

-35.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$6.06 TND 17.52

47.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$14.47 TND 41.86

-12.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.09 TND 6.04

44.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$3.80 TND 10.98

-58.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$1.11 TND 3.22

91.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$0.74 TND 2.15

205.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$0.89 TND 2.58

124.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$0.67 TND 1.93

207.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.43 TND 1.26

174.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.34 TND 1.00

252.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$3.88 TND 11.22

19.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$5.92 TND 17.13

80.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.01 TND 2.93

60.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$1.41 TND 4.09

104.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.32 TND 0.94

78.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$10.14 TND 29.32

194.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$0.33 TND 0.95

1551.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.36 TND 1.03

927.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$4.10 TND 11.87

45.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$0.83 TND 2.41

86.75%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$39.8K TND 115.2K

-43.94%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$37.7K TND 109.0K

-31.16%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$64.1 TND 185

39.09%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$8.61 TND 24.91

190.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$20.62 TND 59.6

52.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$21.63 TND 62.6

213.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$14.42 TND 41.70

100.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$6.36 TND 18.39

-20.60%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$101 TND 292

123.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$3,069 TND 8,875

37.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$48.35 TND 140

-1.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$67.6 TND 196

-33.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$121 TND 351

-32.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$87.1 TND 252

5.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$111 TND 320

865.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$95.5 TND 276

324.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$203 TND 587

853.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$156 TND 452

733.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$985 TND 2,848

305.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$628 TND 1,817

954.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$247 TND 715

202.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.28

11.38%

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 Msaken: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $111 in Msaken. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 203% 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 $22.00 in Msaken for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $210 per month, with Msaken cheaper across the board.

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 Msaken: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Msaken is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 203% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $111 in Msaken. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Msaken runs roughly 194% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $101 in Msaken. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $672 in Msaken versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Msaken but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Msaken the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Msaken 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 Msaken gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.