Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Port Louis Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Port Louis

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $949 in Port Louis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,583 in Port Louis, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,217 in Port Louis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 37% more than Port Louis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Port Louis are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Port Louis 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$5.76 MUR 270

107.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$38.82 MUR 1,817

22.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.56 MUR 354

55.42%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.62 MUR 123

57.25%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.18 MUR 55.2

18.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.66 MUR 30.95

37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.64 MUR 123

21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.72 MUR 221

49.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.58 MUR 73.9

6.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.74 MUR 34.42

190.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.17 MUR 54.7

51.28%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.65 MUR 124

6.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.27 MUR 246

74.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.42 MUR 301

43.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$11.47 MUR 537

10.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.90 MUR 136

1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.63 MUR 123

-39.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.46 MUR 68.4

52.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.90 MUR 136

-18.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.95 MUR 44.45

109.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.93 MUR 43.61

112.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.71 MUR 33.01

74.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.91 MUR 42.66

32.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$6.38 MUR 299

-27.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$8.66 MUR 405

21.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.63 MUR 76.2

3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.29 MUR 107

20.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.02 MUR 47.86

-41.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$32.05 MUR 1,500

-7.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$4.15 MUR 194

26.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.28 MUR 154

11.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$21.74 MUR 1,018

-73.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.39 MUR 64.9

10.79%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$36.2K MUR 1.7M

-37.00%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$31.2K MUR 1.5M

-17.29%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$46.19 MUR 2,162

96.30%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$10.54 MUR 493

138.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$29.17 MUR 1,365

8.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$26.40 MUR 1,236

160.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$3.81 MUR 178

670.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.34 MUR 297

-23.34%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$129 MUR 6,041

74.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$7,719 MUR 361.2K

-45.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$78.6 MUR 3,676

-39.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$74.0 MUR 3,462

-41.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$119 MUR 5,568

-32.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$77.9 MUR 3,646

17.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$488 MUR 22.8K

122.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$280 MUR 13.1K

45.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$763 MUR 35.7K

158.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$618 MUR 28.9K

107.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$4,237 MUR 198.3K

-4.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,062 MUR 49.7K

531.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$700 MUR 32.8K

10.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.67

71.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Port Louis: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $488 in Port Louis. 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 10% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Port Louis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $220 – making Port Louis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Port Louis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 37%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,424 in Port Louis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Louis, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $949 in Port Louis. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Port Louis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Louis, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Port Louis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Port Louis – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Port Louis. 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.