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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,055 in Port Louis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,665 in Port Louis, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,275 in Port Louis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 19% 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 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$6.56 MUR 310

78.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$43.75 MUR 2,066

-4.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$7.09 MUR 335

48.24%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.58 MUR 122

39.15%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$1.00 MUR 47.41

51.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.60 MUR 28.45

53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.21 MUR 104

33.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$3.26 MUR 154

35.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.64 MUR 77.7

-14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$0.65 MUR 30.71

189.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.33 MUR 62.7

17.29%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.34 MUR 110

11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$11.79 MUR 557

-29.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$6.36 MUR 300

31.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$12.63 MUR 597

-14.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$2.06 MUR 97.4

31.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.97 MUR 93.0

-23.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.48 MUR 69.9

26.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$2.74 MUR 130

-20.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$0.99 MUR 46.97

87.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.00 MUR 47.27

123.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.86 MUR 40.50

24.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.76 MUR 36.05

43.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$6.62 MUR 312

-36.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$8.54 MUR 403

22.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.74 MUR 82.3

-4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.15 MUR 101

21.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$1.06 MUR 50.3

-49.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$22.36 MUR 1,056

16.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$4.48 MUR 212

-31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$2.73 MUR 129

-12.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$19.99 MUR 944

-84.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.45 MUR 68.4

-9.66%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$35.2K MUR 1.7M

-15.28%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$29.4K MUR 1.4M

-20.58%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$48.69 MUR 2,299

66.93%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$18.18 MUR 858

24.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$33.15 MUR 1,565

-9.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$23.81 MUR 1,124

122.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$3.94 MUR 186

366.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$5.97 MUR 282

-17.59%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$157 MUR 7,394

28.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$3,927 MUR 185.4K

31.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$85.0 MUR 4,016

-57.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$78.7 MUR 3,718

-49.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$134 MUR 6,327

-40.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$95.3 MUR 4,500

-9.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$475 MUR 22.4K

105.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$354 MUR 16.7K

32.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$783 MUR 37.0K

110.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$619 MUR 29.2K

94.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$4,046 MUR 191.1K

-2.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$1,051 MUR 49.6K

528.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$695 MUR 32.8K

-2.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Port Louis: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $475 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 3% higher in Port Louis, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $44.00 in Port Louis. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $232 in Port Louis – so Port Louis wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 19%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,582 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,055 in Port Louis. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 17% 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 $1,055, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.