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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Sale is about 38% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 MAD 42.37

$11.94 MX$208

-61.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 MAD 305

$42.75 MX$744

-22.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 MAD 61.2

$10.59 MX$184

-37.58%

Cappuccino

$2.06 MAD 19.08

$3.62 MX$63.0

-43.09%

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

$0.63 MAD 5.85

$1.47 MX$25.54

-57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MAD 3.70

$0.94 MX$16.41

-57.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 MAD 50.1

$3.09 MX$53.8

75.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 MAD 38.30

$4.46 MX$77.6

-7.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 MAD 8.91

$1.43 MX$24.80

-32.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 MAD 5.06

$1.88 MX$32.79

-70.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MAD 18.06

$1.63 MX$28.34

19.63%

Eggs

$1.99 MAD 18.39

$2.64 MX$45.99

-24.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.02 MAD 120

$8.21 MX$143

58.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 MAD 55.5

$8.29 MX$144

-27.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 MAD 108

$11.10 MX$193

5.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 MAD 13.90

$2.65 MX$46.14

-43.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 MAD 12.44

$1.50 MX$26.11

-10.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 MAD 8.33

$1.99 MX$34.59

-54.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 MAD 7.82

$2.08 MX$36.13

-59.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.37

$1.79 MX$31.11

-55.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.31

$2.18 MX$37.87

-63.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 MAD 3.94

$1.08 MX$18.73

-60.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 MAD 5.91

$1.04 MX$18.04

-38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MAD 40.30

$3.97 MX$69.1

9.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 MAD 66.0

$10.20 MX$178

-30.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 MAD 24.15

$1.73 MX$30.04

50.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MAD 23.55

$2.50 MX$43.46

2.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MAD 5.21

$0.52 MX$9.02

7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.44 MAD 226

$26.97 MX$469

-9.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 MAD 4.88

$3.14 MX$54.7

-83.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MAD 4.81

$2.40 MX$41.80

-78.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 MAD 41.37

$3.09 MX$53.7

44.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 MAD 14.76

$1.27 MX$22.16

25.98%

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

$37.2K MAD 344.1K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

20.47%

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

$29.9K MAD 277.0K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

28.44%

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

$33.03 MAD 305

$82.0 MX$1,427

-59.72%

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

$10.91 MAD 101

$22.45 MX$391

-51.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.43 MAD 420

$29.66 MX$516

53.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.25 MAD 132

$51.9 MX$903

-72.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.67 MAD 219

$18.67 MX$325

26.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 MAD 59.9

$4.97 MX$86.5

30.38%

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

$112 MAD 1,037

$198 MX$3,442

-43.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,300 MAD 58.3K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

19.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.36 MAD 392

$36.34 MX$632

16.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.69 MAD 460

$40.05 MX$697

24.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MAD 987

$79.9 MX$1,390

33.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 MAD 927

$88.9 MX$1,547

12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 MAD 2,620

$963 MX$16.8K

-70.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 MAD 1,617

$465 MX$8,086

-62.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 MAD 4,631

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-68.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 MAD 2,805

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-74.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,201 MAD 11.1K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-69.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$852 MAD 7,882

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-86.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$410 MAD 3,792

$720 MX$12.5K

-43.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.81

11.42

-57.88%

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

Last update for Sale: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $283 in Sale versus $963 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 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 $33.00 in Sale versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $251 – 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

Sale vs Playa del Carmen: 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 $1,188 per month in Sale and $1,930 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $792 in Sale and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. 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.