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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $985 in Port Mathurin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,595 in Port Mathurin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,206 in Port Mathurin, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 29% more than Port Mathurin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Port Mathurin are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Port Mathurin 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.63 MUR 312

79.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$43.65 MUR 2,056

-1.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.49 MUR 305

64.10%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.69 MUR 127

28.25%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.04 MUR 48.85

44.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.60 MUR 28.40

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.14 MUR 101

41.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.74 MUR 129

68.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.47 MUR 69.2

-6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.66 MUR 31.31

180.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.31 MUR 61.7

22.90%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.27 MUR 107

14.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.16 MUR 479

-18.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.27 MUR 295

33.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.48 MUR 493

1.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.96 MUR 92.4

34.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.92 MUR 90.6

-22.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.46 MUR 68.6

31.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.61 MUR 123

-19.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.97 MUR 45.77

91.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.94 MUR 44.48

140.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.84 MUR 39.61

26.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.52 MUR 24.65

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.06 MUR 285

-31.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.21 MUR 434

12.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.72 MUR 81.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.20 MUR 103

18.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.03 MUR 48.61

-47.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.36 MUR 205

-28.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.59 MUR 122

-3.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$15.33 MUR 722

-79.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.46 MUR 69.0

-13.01%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

-14.45%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

-18.32%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$49.77 MUR 2,343

66.77%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$18.55 MUR 874

22.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$32.56 MUR 1,533

-9.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.57 MUR 1,769

35.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.07 MUR 286

-18.78%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$155 MUR 7,296

27.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,898 MUR 183.6K

35.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$50.3 MUR 2,367

-26.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$43.89 MUR 2,067

-9.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$83.0 MUR 3,909

-3.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$79.1 MUR 3,726

13.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$508 MUR 23.9K

88.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$352 MUR 16.6K

35.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$963 MUR 45.4K

70.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$722 MUR 34.0K

69.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.25

82.72%

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 Mathurin: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $508 in Port Mathurin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $44.00 in Port Mathurin. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $215 in Port Mathurin – so Port Mathurin 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 Mathurin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 29%, 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 $1,477 in Port Mathurin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Mathurin, 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 $985 in Port Mathurin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $155 in Port Mathurin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Port Mathurin, where all-in costs run around $985, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Port Mathurin 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 Mathurin – 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 Mathurin. 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.