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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,070 in Port Louis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,680 in Port Louis, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,290 in Port Louis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 20% 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 4% lower, Port Louis 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$6.55 MUR 306

82.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$44.85 MUR 2,097

-4.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$7.04 MUR 329

50.43%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.59 MUR 121

39.77%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.02 MUR 47.79

44.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.55 MUR 25.80

70.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.17 MUR 101

42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.27 MUR 153

36.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.68 MUR 78.7

-14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.66 MUR 30.88

184.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.27 MUR 59.4

28.35%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.23 MUR 104

18.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$12.02 MUR 562

-31.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.26 MUR 293

32.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$12.72 MUR 595

-12.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.00 MUR 93.6

32.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$2.00 MUR 93.3

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.44 MUR 67.3

38.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.64 MUR 123

-21.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.99 MUR 46.38

80.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.99 MUR 46.15

120.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.86 MUR 40.12

25.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.77 MUR 35.90

35.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$6.54 MUR 306

-39.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.49 MUR 397

20.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.78 MUR 83.0

-2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.23 MUR 104

12.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$1.02 MUR 47.61

-49.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$22.48 MUR 1,051

19.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$4.37 MUR 204

-28.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$2.74 MUR 128

-12.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$20.17 MUR 943

-84.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.40 MUR 65.3

-9.29%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$35.3K MUR 1.7M

-12.52%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

-18.29%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$48.88 MUR 2,285

67.78%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$18.03 MUR 843

24.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$33.09 MUR 1,547

-10.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$23.89 MUR 1,117

117.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$4.00 MUR 187

366.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$5.88 MUR 275

-15.48%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$156 MUR 7,294

26.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$3,900 MUR 182.3K

35.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$85.0 MUR 3,973

-57.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$78.9 MUR 3,689

-49.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$134 MUR 6,250

-40.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$93.2 MUR 4,357

-4.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$465 MUR 21.7K

107.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$357 MUR 16.7K

30.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$783 MUR 36.6K

103.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$627 MUR 29.3K

92.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$4,163 MUR 194.6K

-5.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,086 MUR 50.8K

493.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$648 MUR 30.3K

11.12%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Port Louis: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $465 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 11% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Port Louis. Groceries tell a different story – $251 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 20%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,605 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,070 in Port Louis. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 20% 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 $1,070, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.