Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sale, Morocco

For one person, living is cheaper in Sale: $625 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Sale
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Sale Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Sale

🇲🇦 Morocco

$625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Sale

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Sale actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $625 in Sale, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Sale $625

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,030 in Sale, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Sale $1,030

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,434 in Sale, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Sale $1,434

Playa del Carmen costs about 92% more than Sale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sale are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Sale 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$3.58 MAD 35.03

198.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$17.72 MAD 173

147.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$7.08 MAD 69.2

66.53%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$1.82 MAD 17.74

108.24%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$0.53 MAD 5.13

145.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.30 MAD 2.93

176.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$2.60 MAD 25.46

21.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$3.10 MAD 30.32

59.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.88 MAD 8.57

60.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$0.62 MAD 6.02

254.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$1.95 MAD 19.04

-24.62%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.47

$1.89 MAD 18.51

32.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$11.30 MAD 110

-35.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$6.51 MAD 63.6

22.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$12.09 MAD 118

6.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$1.38 MAD 13.45

110.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.21 MAD 11.83

14.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.36

$0.94 MAD 9.22

164.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.78

$0.88 MAD 8.65

130.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.69

$0.70 MAD 6.88

188.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$0.73 MAD 7.14

160.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.43 MAD 4.19

165.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.06

$0.62 MAD 6.03

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$3.81 MAD 37.20

12.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$4.50 MAD 43.94

118.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$2.12 MAD 20.71

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$2.14 MAD 20.88

28.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.54 MAD 5.27

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$22.81 MAD 223

20.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$0.74 MAD 7.21

543.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.53 MAD 5.21

513.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$4.06 MAD 39.65

32.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.46 MAD 14.26

4.79%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$30.3K MAD 295.8K

-29.92%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$29.8K MAD 291.2K

-21.93%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$37.19 MAD 364

124.50%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$10.04 MAD 98.1

130.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$40.87 MAD 399

-32.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$16.01 MAD 156

252.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$40.98 MAD 401

-31.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$5.03 MAD 49.19

-0.60%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$101 MAD 986

105.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.4K

$5,838 MAD 57.1K

-10.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$31.59 MAD 309

37.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$46.56 MAD 455

-8.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$71.8 MAD 701

1.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$64.4 MAD 629

37.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$205 MAD 1,999

386.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$100 MAD 978

282.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$356 MAD 3,478

370.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$256 MAD 2,504

321.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$1,126 MAD 11.0K

247.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$812 MAD 7,936

655.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$508 MAD 4,962

63.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sale: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Sale

$100 16% 73.8% $282

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Sale

$192 30.7% 25.5% $66

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Sale

$94 15.1% 53% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Sale

$88 14.1% 34.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Sale

$96 15.4% 13.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Sale

$26 4.2% 60.8% $40

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Sale

$28 4.5% 43.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $205 in Sale. 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 64% 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 $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $18 in Sale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $192 – making Sale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇦 Sale

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

17:48 5:48 PM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

890,403

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 EUR

100 MAD = 10.23 USD

100 MAD = 9.13 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.86 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 9.77 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.13 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Playa del Carmen Sale 7,880 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Sale

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $938 in Sale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sale, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $205 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $625 in Sale. That makes Sale about 48% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Sale. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Sale, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Sale it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sale – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Sale. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.