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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $978 in Port Mathurin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,582 in Port Mathurin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,185 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

$11.72 MX$203

$6.62 MUR 310

77.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$43.14 MUR 2,018

-2.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.71 MUR 314

56.63%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$2.58 MUR 121

39.15%

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

$1.51 MX$26.13

$0.97 MUR 45.60

55.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$0.57 MUR 26.58

61.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.16 MUR 101

37.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$2.70 MUR 126

63.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$1.45 MUR 68.0

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$0.66 MUR 31.08

184.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$1.32 MUR 61.7

18.18%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.20

$2.26 MUR 106

15.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.83 MUR 460

-15.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.21 MUR 291

34.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.38 MUR 485

4.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$1.99 MUR 92.9

36.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$1.97 MUR 92.2

-23.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$1.45 MUR 67.7

28.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.94

$2.63 MUR 123

-16.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.18

$0.98 MUR 45.84

89.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$0.94 MUR 43.91

137.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$0.79 MUR 36.96

35.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.53 MUR 24.59

105.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.5

$6.16 MUR 288

-31.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$7.69 MUR 360

35.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$1.74 MUR 81.2

-4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$2.11 MUR 98.8

23.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$1.05 MUR 49.00

-48.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.53 MUR 212

-32.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.66

$2.72 MUR 127

-11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$15.61 MUR 730

-79.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.39 MUR 65.1

-5.76%

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

$29.8K MX$516.4K

$35.9K MUR 1.7M

-17.03%

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

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$28.7K MUR 1.3M

-18.73%

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

$81.3 MX$1,408

$50.3 MUR 2,353

61.59%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$18.52 MUR 866

21.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$32.28 MUR 1,510

-6.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

$38.60 MUR 1,806

37.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.2

$5.93 MUR 277

-17.03%

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

$201 MX$3,479

$156 MUR 7,293

28.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$3,926 MUR 183.7K

31.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$51.4 MUR 2,404

-30.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$44.24 MUR 2,069

-9.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$84.1 MUR 3,934

-5.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$78.1 MUR 3,652

10.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$508 MUR 23.8K

92.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,152

$359 MUR 16.8K

31.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$932 MUR 43.6K

77.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$709 MUR 33.2K

69.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Port Mathurin: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $43.00 in Port Mathurin. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $210 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,467 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $978 in Port Mathurin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $156 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 $978, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.