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 $642 per month in Sale vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Sale vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,506 per month in Sale vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sale is about 49% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Sale and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Sale 53% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MAD 34.04

$11.60 MX$199

-69.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.60 MAD 177

$47.11 MX$809

-60.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 MAD 69.8

$11.88 MX$204

-38.22%

Cappuccino

$1.87 MAD 17.79

$3.98 MX$68.2

-53.02%

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

$0.67 MAD 6.38

$1.43 MX$24.49

-53.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MAD 3.12

$0.82 MX$14.16

-59.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MAD 25.53

$3.19 MX$54.7

-15.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MAD 29.72

$6.79 MX$117

-53.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 MAD 8.71

$1.68 MX$28.76

-45.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 MAD 6.38

$2.20 MX$37.71

-69.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MAD 18.34

$1.71 MX$29.32

12.87%

Eggs

$1.94 MAD 18.41

$2.74 MX$47.05

-29.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.66 MAD 111

$9.58 MX$164

21.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 MAD 63.1

$9.01 MX$155

-26.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.48 MAD 119

$12.81 MX$220

-2.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 MAD 13.13

$2.89 MX$49.58

-52.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 MAD 12.02

$1.50 MX$25.70

-16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 MAD 8.16

$2.15 MX$36.87

-60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 MAD 8.10

$2.26 MX$38.79

-62.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 MAD 6.66

$1.98 MX$34.00

-64.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MAD 7.14

$1.99 MX$34.15

-62.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 MAD 4.21

$1.23 MX$21.18

-64.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.65

$1.20 MX$20.54

-50.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.93 MAD 37.38

$4.55 MX$78.1

-13.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.67 MAD 44.45

$10.37 MX$178

-54.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 MAD 21.27

$1.62 MX$27.79

38.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 MAD 21.13

$2.88 MX$49.44

-22.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MAD 5.36

$0.60 MX$10.30

-6.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.91 MAD 227

$28.80 MX$494

-16.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 MAD 6.73

$5.39 MX$92.5

-86.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 MAD 5.22

$3.73 MX$64.0

-85.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 MAD 41.01

$5.77 MX$99.0

-25.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MAD 14.02

$1.54 MX$26.37

-4.55%

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

$34.6K MAD 329.2K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

53.57%

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

$31.3K MAD 297.4K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

20.03%

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

$39.29 MAD 374

$91.4 MX$1,569

-57.00%

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

$10.74 MAD 102

$25.20 MX$433

-57.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.24 MAD 402

$31.24 MX$536

35.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.93 MAD 161

$67.2 MX$1,154

-74.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.72 MAD 397

$29.11 MX$500

43.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.17 MAD 49.15

$4.86 MX$83.5

6.38%

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

$105 MAD 997

$224 MX$3,839

-53.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,986 MAD 56.9K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

41.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.21 MAD 316

$47.10 MX$808

-29.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.35 MAD 450

$44.29 MX$760

6.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 MAD 699

$80.1 MX$1,375

-8.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.5 MAD 642

$92.7 MX$1,591

-27.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$214 MAD 2,039

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-79.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 MAD 1,023

$390 MX$6,698

-72.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 MAD 3,496

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-82.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 MAD 2,496

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-79.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,159 MAD 11.0K

$4,001 MX$68.7K

-71.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$847 MAD 8,058

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-86.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$535 MAD 5,085

$758 MX$13.0K

-29.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-56.33%

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

Last update for Sale: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $214 in Sale versus $1,063 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 42% 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 $19.00 in Sale versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $276 – 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 97%, 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 $963 per month in Sale and $1,899 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 $642 in Sale and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 20% 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 $642, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.