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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $792 in Sale, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,237 in Sale, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,682 in Sale, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 62% more than Sale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sale are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Sale 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$4.58 MAD 42.37

160.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$32.93 MAD 305

29.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$6.61 MAD 61.2

60.21%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.06 MAD 19.08

75.73%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.63 MAD 5.85

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.40 MAD 3.70

135.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$5.42 MAD 50.1

-42.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$4.14 MAD 38.30

7.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$0.96 MAD 8.91

48.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.55 MAD 5.06

241.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.95 MAD 18.06

-16.41%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.99 MAD 18.39

32.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$13.02 MAD 120

-36.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.00 MAD 55.5

38.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$11.69 MAD 108

-5.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.50 MAD 13.90

76.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.34 MAD 12.44

11.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$0.90 MAD 8.33

121.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$0.85 MAD 7.82

144.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.80 MAD 7.37

123.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.79 MAD 7.31

175.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.43 MAD 3.94

151.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.64 MAD 5.91

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$4.36 MAD 40.30

-8.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.13 MAD 66.0

43.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.61 MAD 24.15

-33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.55 MAD 23.55

-1.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.56 MAD 5.21

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$24.44 MAD 226

10.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.53 MAD 4.88

492.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.52 MAD 4.81

361.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$4.47 MAD 41.37

-30.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.60 MAD 14.76

-20.63%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$37.2K MAD 344.1K

-16.99%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$29.9K MAD 277.0K

-22.14%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$33.03 MAD 305

148.29%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$10.91 MAD 101

105.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$45.43 MAD 420

-34.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$14.25 MAD 132

264.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$23.67 MAD 219

-21.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$6.48 MAD 59.9

-23.30%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$112 MAD 1,037

76.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$6,300 MAD 58.3K

-16.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$42.36 MAD 392

-14.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$49.69 MAD 460

-19.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$107 MAD 987

-25.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$100 MAD 927

-11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$283 MAD 2,620

240.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$175 MAD 1,617

165.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$501 MAD 4,631

218.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$303 MAD 2,805

298.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$1,201 MAD 11.1K

228.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$852 MAD 7,882

656.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$410 MAD 3,792

75.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.81

137.42%

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 Sale: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $283 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 76% 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 $33.00 in Sale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $204 – making Sale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 62%, 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 $1,188 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. 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 $792 in Sale. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Sale. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sale, where all-in costs run around $792, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.

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 Sale. 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.