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 $779 per month in Sale vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,232 per month in Sale vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,684 per month in Sale vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sale is about 39% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Sale and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Sale 42% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 MAD 42.09

$11.87 MX$204

-61.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.89 MAD 304

$42.90 MX$736

-23.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 MAD 62.9

$10.65 MX$183

-36.15%

Cappuccino

$1.98 MAD 18.35

$3.45 MX$59.2

-42.61%

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

$0.69 MAD 6.36

$1.50 MX$25.81

-54.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MAD 3.73

$0.95 MX$16.28

-57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 MAD 50.2

$3.03 MX$51.9

78.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MAD 38.88

$4.61 MX$79.1

-8.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 MAD 8.79

$1.38 MX$23.61

-31.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 MAD 5.31

$1.85 MX$31.70

-69.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MAD 17.26

$1.61 MX$27.65

16.15%

Eggs

$1.96 MAD 18.17

$2.59 MX$44.51

-24.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 MAD 121

$8.26 MX$142

58.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 MAD 55.6

$8.37 MX$144

-28.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 MAD 111

$10.66 MX$183

12.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 MAD 14.06

$2.63 MX$45.12

-42.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MAD 12.23

$1.49 MX$25.53

-11.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 MAD 8.50

$1.92 MX$32.94

-52.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 MAD 8.21

$2.09 MX$35.81

-57.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.38

$1.86 MX$31.88

-56.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.45

$2.26 MX$38.81

-64.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.62

$1.06 MX$18.23

-63.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.44

$1.09 MX$18.67

-45.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MAD 40.30

$4.15 MX$71.2

5.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 MAD 44.74

$10.39 MX$178

-53.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 MAD 25.20

$1.72 MX$29.59

58.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MAD 22.86

$2.61 MX$44.85

-5.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MAD 5.27

$0.54 MX$9.30

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.11 MAD 232

$26.94 MX$462

-6.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 MAD 4.86

$3.13 MX$53.7

-83.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MAD 4.40

$2.51 MX$43.09

-80.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 MAD 39.93

$3.15 MX$54.1

37.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MAD 14.04

$1.27 MX$21.88

19.69%

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

$37.3K MAD 344.9K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

22.77%

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

$29.6K MAD 273.8K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

25.60%

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

$32.93 MAD 305

$83.0 MX$1,425

-60.33%

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

$11.00 MAD 102

$22.71 MX$390

-51.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.34 MAD 419

$29.46 MX$506

53.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.22 MAD 132

$51.0 MX$875

-72.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.46 MAD 217

$18.33 MX$315

27.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 MAD 59.3

$4.93 MX$84.5

30.02%

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

$113 MAD 1,044

$197 MX$3,386

-42.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,442 MAD 59.6K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

22.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.49 MAD 402

$36.90 MX$633

17.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 MAD 470

$39.89 MX$685

27.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MAD 994

$80.0 MX$1,373

34.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 MAD 914

$89.5 MX$1,536

10.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 MAD 2,611

$956 MX$16.4K

-70.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 MAD 1,619

$477 MX$8,189

-63.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MAD 4,724

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-68.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 MAD 2,800

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-75.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,208 MAD 11.2K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-69.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$880 MAD 8,143

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-86.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$533 MAD 4,934

$667 MX$11.4K

-20.03%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $282 in Sale versus $956 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 25% 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: $200 vs $250 – 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 63%, 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 $1,169 per month in Sale and $1,906 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 $779 in Sale and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 7% 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 $779, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.