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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $966 in Port Mathurin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,587 in Port Mathurin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,209 in Port Mathurin, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 33% 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 4% lower, Port Mathurin 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.50 MUR 304

83.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$44.18 MUR 2,067

-3.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.50 MUR 304

62.92%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.57 MUR 120

40.86%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.03 MUR 48.13

42.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.57 MUR 26.55

64.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.08 MUR 97.3

48.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.78 MUR 130

60.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.44 MUR 67.6

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.70 MUR 32.75

168.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.31 MUR 61.3

24.43%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.35 MUR 110

12.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$9.71 MUR 454

-15.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.36 MUR 297

30.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.46 MUR 490

6.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.01 MUR 93.9

31.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.98 MUR 92.6

-24.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.50 MUR 70.4

32.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.61 MUR 122

-20.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.98 MUR 46.05

82.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.99 MUR 46.13

120.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.84 MUR 39.47

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.54 MUR 25.10

92.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$5.93 MUR 277

-33.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$9.32 MUR 436

9.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.78 MUR 83.2

-2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.19 MUR 102

14.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.01 MUR 47.15

-48.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$4.41 MUR 206

-28.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.61 MUR 122

-8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$15.20 MUR 711

-79.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.46 MUR 68.4

-13.01%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$35.6K MUR 1.7M

-13.35%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$29.3K MUR 1.4M

-20.55%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$49.07 MUR 2,296

67.13%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$18.38 MUR 860

22.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$32.01 MUR 1,498

-7.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$38.21 MUR 1,788

35.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.03 MUR 282

-17.58%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$151 MUR 7,079

30.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,007 MUR 187.5K

31.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$49.99 MUR 2,339

-27.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$44.42 MUR 2,079

-9.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$81.0 MUR 3,788

-1.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$77.8 MUR 3,642

14.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$512 MUR 24.0K

88.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$345 MUR 16.1K

34.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$966 MUR 45.2K

65.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$725 MUR 33.9K

66.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Port Mathurin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $512 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 – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $216 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 33%, 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 $1,449 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $966 in Port Mathurin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $151 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 $966, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.