Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Toliara

For one person, living is cheaper in Toliara: $174 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Toliara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Toliara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $174 in Toliara, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Toliara $174

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $261 in Toliara, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Toliara $261

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $349 in Toliara, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Toliara $349

Playa del Carmen costs about 591% more than Toliara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Toliara are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Toliara 87% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$1.72 MGA 7,855

534.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$0.78 MGA 3,585

388.46%

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

$0.67 MGA 3,082

91.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$1.42 MGA 6,505

-0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$0.41 MGA 1,871

246.34%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$2.08 MGA 9,499

21.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$4.69 MGA 21.5K

64.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$4.94 MGA 22.6K

156.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$0.68 MGA 3,120

101.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

$1.68 MGA 7,685

26.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

$0.52 MGA 2,372

273.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$0.67 MGA 3,071

76.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$1.80 MGA 8,253

138.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$5.48 MGA 25.1K

81.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

$0.63 MGA 2,877

150.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

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

$23.41 MX$439

$16.30 MGA 74.6K

43.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$33.49 MGA 153.3K

-14.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

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

$207 MX$3,871

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Toliara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Toliara

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Toliara

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Toliara

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Toliara

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Toliara

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Toliara

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Toliara

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇬 Toliara

🕒 Local time

12:34 12:34 PM

20:34 8:34 PM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

168,756

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,108 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Toliara 14,950 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Toliara

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 Toliara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 591%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $261 in Toliara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $174 in Toliara. That makes Toliara about 86% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 158% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Toliara, where all-in costs run around $174, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Toliara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $174 in Toliara to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.