Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Multan

For one person, living is cheaper in Multan: $560 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Multan
Learn more

Multan Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Multan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Multan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Multan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $560 in Multan.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Multan $560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $771 in Multan.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Multan $771

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $982 in Multan.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Multan $982

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 115% more expensive than in Multan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Multan 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$2.47 PKR 682

342.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$10.64 PKR 2,941

307.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.50 PKR 1,519

114.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 PKR 760

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 PKR 1,410

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.85 PKR 511

105.95%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.30 PKR 83.1

326.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.19 PKR 53.4

310.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$0.73 PKR 201

93.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.52 PKR 143

326.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.08 PKR 297

31.48%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$1.09 PKR 301

131.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$6.59 PKR 1,821

10.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$2.52 PKR 697

205.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$4.47 PKR 1,237

183.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$0.91 PKR 252

205.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$0.47 PKR 129

191.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$0.67 PKR 186

280.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$0.57 PKR 158

271.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$0.39 PKR 108

397.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$0.42 PKR 117

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.47 PKR 129

144.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.37 PKR 103

218.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.80 PKR 499

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 PKR 789

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$2.18 PKR 603

97.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.17 PKR 46.69

223.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$8.46 PKR 2,339

214.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$1.43 PKR 395

247.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.38 PKR 104

776.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$0.86 PKR 237

523.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.18 PKR 327

22.03%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$25.2K PKR 7.0M

-18.12%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$23.3K PKR 6.4M

0.89%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$146 PKR 40.2K

-41.74%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$4.82 PKR 1,332

385.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$18.97 PKR 5,243

51.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$23.97 PKR 6,627

138.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$3.57 PKR 987

709.80%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$4.27 PKR 1,181

20.37%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$41.98 PKR 11.6K

392.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$993 PKR 274.4K

295.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$18.39 PKR 5,085

135.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$18.81 PKR 5,199

120.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$94.0 PKR 26.0K

-21.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$25.44 PKR 7,034

250.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$190 PKR 52.5K

415.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$127 PKR 35.0K

200.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$236 PKR 65.4K

622.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$173 PKR 47.8K

522.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$763 PKR 211.0K

416.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$522 PKR 144.3K

1079.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$185 PKR 51.2K

296.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-11.92%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Multan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Multan

$127 22.6% 66.8% $254

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Multan

$88 15.7% 65.4% $167

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Multan

$60 10.8% 70.2% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Multan

$169 30.3% 23.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Multan

$71 12.6% 36.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Multan

$33 5.8% 51.7% $35

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Multan

$12 2.2% 75.3% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $190 in Multan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $11 in Multan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $88 per month, with Multan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇰 Multan

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

09:51 9:51 AM

10 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,871,843

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Multan 13,920 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Multan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Multan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Multan is about 54% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Playa del Carmen is about 4 times higher, 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $190 in Multan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $42 in Multan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 189% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $560 in Multan versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Multan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Multan 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.

Expats usually find Multan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.