Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mui Ne Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mui Ne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $742 in Mui Ne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,190 in Mui Ne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,638 in Mui Ne.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 71% more expensive than Mui Ne, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Mui Ne 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.98 ₫51.9K

499.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$21.05 ₫552.6K

103.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.50 ₫118.0K

136.67%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.69 ₫44.4K

104.14%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.50 ₫13.2K

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.30 ₫7,898

216.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$0.94 ₫24.7K

222.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.58 ₫41.5K

191.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.43 ₫37.5K

-3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.95 ₫25.0K

94.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.94 ₫24.7K

71.28%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.45 ₫38.2K

78.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.73 ₫307.9K

-29.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.76 ₫98.6K

122.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.08 ₫264.6K

5.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.63 ₫69.2K

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.05 ₫27.6K

41.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.29 ₫33.8K

48.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.13 ₫29.7K

84.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.06 ₫27.8K

75.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.01 ₫26.6K

123.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.64 ₫16.8K

65.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.49 ₫12.7K

122.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.35 ₫35.5K

207.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.23 ₫294.8K

-7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.75 ₫19.8K

129.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.63 ₫42.8K

60.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.34 ₫9,034

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$6.57 ₫172.6K

310.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.68 ₫17.8K

360.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.65 ₫17.2K

286.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.70 ₫71.0K

16.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.83 ₫21.8K

53.01%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.0K ₫919.4M

-13.28%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.2K ₫818.9M

-24.46%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$73.9 ₫1.9M

12.39%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$5.77 ₫151.5K

293.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$8.75 ₫229.7K

236.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.20 ₫582.7K

129.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$7.81 ₫205.1K

134.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.16 ₫83.0K

56.01%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$263 ₫6.9M

-25.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$11.8K ₫309.6M

-55.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$40.20 ₫1.1M

-8.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$23.53 ₫617.7K

69.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$86.3 ₫2.3M

-7.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$74.1 ₫1.9M

20.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$353 ₫9.3M

170.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$244 ₫6.4M

95.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$739 ₫19.4M

122.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$538 ₫14.1M

127.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,066 ₫54.2M

89.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,253 ₫32.9M

415.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.1

25.49%

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 Mui Ne: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $353 in Mui Ne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Mui Ne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $191 per month, with Mui Ne 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 Mui Ne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Mui Ne differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $742 including rent). Mui Ne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,113 in Mui Ne to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $353 in Mui Ne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $263 in Mui Ne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $742 in Mui Ne versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mui Ne but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mui Ne the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Mui Ne 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 Mui Ne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.