Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Louis and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Louis: $949 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Port Louis, Mauritius
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Port Louis
🇲🇺 Mauritius
$949
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Louis and in Playa del Carmen

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

A single person spends $949 per month in Port Louis vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Port Louis $949
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,600 per month in Port Louis vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Port Louis $1,600
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,252 per month in Port Louis vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Port Louis $2,252
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Port Louis is about 21% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Port Louis and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Port Louis 30% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Port Louis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.88 MUR 277
$10.92 MX$205
-46.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.03 MUR 1,792
$43.37 MX$815
-12.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.41 MUR 349
$11.78 MX$221
-37.10%
Cappuccino
$2.62 MUR 123
$3.81 MX$71.6
-31.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 MUR 55.5
$1.28 MX$24.10
-7.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 MUR 31.38
$0.78 MX$14.71
-14.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.60 MUR 122
$3.17 MX$59.5
-17.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.77 MUR 225
$4.93 MX$92.7
-3.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Port Louis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 MUR 73.2
$1.41 MX$26.43
9.93%
White Bread (500g)
$0.75 MUR 35.28
$2.22 MX$41.66
-66.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.15 MUR 54.4
$1.42 MX$26.64
-19.01%
Eggs
$2.68 MUR 126
$2.52 MX$47.41
6.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.39 MUR 254
$7.26 MX$137
-25.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.46 MUR 304
$7.70 MX$145
-16.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.42 MUR 538
$12.69 MX$239
-10.01%
Apples (1kg)
$2.87 MUR 135
$2.78 MX$52.3
3.24%
Banana (1kg)
$2.62 MUR 123
$1.37 MX$25.71
91.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 MUR 66.2
$2.55 MX$47.94
-44.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.01 MUR 142
$2.12 MX$39.90
41.98%
Potato (1kg)
$1.02 MUR 48.07
$1.94 MX$36.43
-47.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.01 MUR 47.58
$1.89 MX$35.44
-46.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.74 MUR 34.80
$1.15 MX$21.55
-35.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 MUR 40.42
$1.18 MX$22.16
-27.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 MUR 314
$4.30 MX$80.7
54.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.68 MUR 409
$9.95 MX$187
-12.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 MUR 79.5
$1.58 MX$29.76
6.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 MUR 112
$2.67 MX$50.2
-10.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Port Louis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 MUR 41.16
$0.55 MX$10.40
58.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.41 MUR 1,009
$26.62 MX$500
-19.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.34 MUR 205
$4.97 MX$93.4
-12.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.26 MUR 154
$3.33 MX$62.6
-2.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.38 MUR 1,007
$5.36 MX$101
298.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 MUR 64.1
$1.44 MX$27.14
-5.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.7K MUR 1.7M
$20.7K MX$388.4K
77.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.1K MUR 1.5M
$23.5K MX$441.0K
32.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Louis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$44.43 MUR 2,094
$84.8 MX$1,594
-47.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.55 MUR 497
$23.41 MX$440
-54.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.91 MUR 1,362
$28.66 MX$539
0.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Port Louis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.90 MUR 1,220
$57.1 MX$1,072
-54.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.79 MUR 179
$28.91 MX$543
-86.89%
Cinema Ticket
$6.43 MUR 303
$5.14 MX$96.6
25.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Port Louis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$128 MUR 6,053
$207 MX$3,882
-37.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,599 MUR 358.0K
$3,927 MX$73.8K
93.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Port Louis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.7 MUR 3,709
$43.35 MX$815
81.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$75.1 MUR 3,540
$41.44 MX$779
81.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 MUR 5,568
$74.2 MX$1,394
59.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.2 MUR 3,639
$89.3 MX$1,677
-13.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Port Louis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$484 MUR 22.8K
$980 MX$18.4K
-50.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$272 MUR 12.8K
$381 MX$7,157
-28.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$978 MUR 46.1K
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-42.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$672 MUR 31.7K
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-37.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,124 MUR 194.3K
$3,943 MX$74.1K
4.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,053 MUR 49.6K
$6,158 MX$115.7K
-82.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Port Louis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$682 MUR 32.1K
$735 MX$13.8K
-7.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.67
11.45
-41.75%

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

Last update for Port Louis: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Port Louis
$272
Playa del Carmen
$381 39.8% $108
Groceries & Markets
Port Louis
$221
Playa del Carmen
$255 15.4% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Port Louis
$157
Playa del Carmen
$112 28.9% $45
Eating Out
Port Louis
$131
Playa del Carmen
$202 55% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Louis
$84
Playa del Carmen
$137 63.1% $53
Getting Around
Port Louis
$46
Playa del Carmen
$50 10.7% $4.9
Sport & Entertainment
Port Louis
$39
Playa del Carmen
$67 73.6% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $484 in Port Louis versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. 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 8% 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 $38 in Port Louis versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $255 – making Port Louis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇺 Port Louis
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
06:06 6:06 AM
21:06 9:06 PM
9 h behind Port Louis
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
147,688 Capital
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MUR – Mauritian Rupee Converter

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 47.12 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.61 MUR (100 MUR = 1.9 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Port Louis Playa del Carmen 16,330 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Port Louis
  • Playa del Carmen

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
Port Louis vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Port Louis cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,423 per month in Port Louis and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Louis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $484 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Port Louis and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $949 in Port Louis and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Port Louis about 21% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 20% less in Port Louis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Port Louis or in Playa del Carmen?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $949 in Port Louis and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Port Louis or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Port Louis – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Port Louis. 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.

Port Louis vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?