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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,080 in Port Louis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,699 in Port Louis, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,319 in Port Louis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% 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 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.53 MUR 308

81.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$43.69 MUR 2,057

-1.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.98 MUR 329

52.58%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.56 MUR 121

34.77%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.02 MUR 48.19

47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.60 MUR 28.37

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.26 MUR 107

34.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.33 MUR 157

38.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.69 MUR 79.5

-18.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.67 MUR 31.37

176.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.32 MUR 62.4

21.97%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.33 MUR 110

11.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.10 MUR 570

-31.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.13 MUR 289

36.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.72 MUR 599

-16.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.98 MUR 93.1

32.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.96 MUR 92.4

-23.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.49 MUR 70.3

28.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.74 MUR 129

-23.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.02 MUR 48.27

82.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.94 MUR 44.46

140.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.81 MUR 38.06

30.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.76 MUR 35.75

43.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.41 MUR 302

-35.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.58 MUR 404

21.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.73 MUR 81.7

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.26 MUR 106

15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.05 MUR 49.57

-48.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$22.34 MUR 1,052

20.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.28 MUR 202

-26.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.61 MUR 123

-3.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$19.86 MUR 935

-84.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.47 MUR 69.3

-13.61%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

-16.32%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

-17.29%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$48.79 MUR 2,297

70.12%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$18.23 MUR 858

24.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$33.17 MUR 1,562

-11.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$23.97 MUR 1,129

112.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$4.01 MUR 189

357.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.03 MUR 284

-18.24%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$157 MUR 7,384

25.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,956 MUR 186.3K

33.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$85.7 MUR 4,033

-56.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$79.2 MUR 3,729

-49.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$132 MUR 6,213

-39.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$92.8 MUR 4,371

-3.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$472 MUR 22.2K

102.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$353 MUR 16.6K

35.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$777 MUR 36.6K

111.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$630 MUR 29.7K

94.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$4,057 MUR 191.1K

-3.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,045 MUR 49.2K

517.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$671 MUR 31.6K

-0.65%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Port Louis: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $472 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 1% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $44.00 in Port Louis. Groceries tell a different story – $250 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 18%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,619 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,080 in Port Louis. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 21% 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 $1,080, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.