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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,390 in Beirut versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,293 in Beirut versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,195 in Beirut versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Beirut is roughly 11% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Beirut is 4% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.63 LBP 951.4K

$11.99 MX$210

-11.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 LBP 5.4M

$41.78 MX$731

43.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 LBP 701.7K

$10.75 MX$188

-27.07%

Cappuccino

$3.32 LBP 296.7K

$3.50 MX$61.1

-5.14%

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

$1.57 LBP 140.7K

$1.45 MX$25.33

8.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 LBP 77.7K

$0.88 MX$15.47

-1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 LBP 311.5K

$2.95 MX$51.6

17.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 LBP 442.9K

$4.51 MX$78.9

9.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 LBP 158.6K

$1.43 MX$25.04

23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LBP 70.8K

$1.84 MX$32.13

-57.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 LBP 162.5K

$1.57 MX$27.42

15.92%

Eggs

$3.10 LBP 277.8K

$2.51 MX$43.92

23.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 LBP 992.0K

$8.28 MX$145

33.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 LBP 838.3K

$8.43 MX$147

11.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 LBP 1.0M

$10.68 MX$187

7.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 LBP 155.9K

$2.61 MX$45.62

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 LBP 130.0K

$1.44 MX$25.15

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 LBP 102.2K

$1.96 MX$34.31

-41.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 LBP 94.1K

$2.09 MX$36.62

-49.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LBP 89.1K

$1.85 MX$32.37

-45.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 LBP 93.4K

$2.17 MX$37.90

-52.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LBP 79.8K

$1.03 MX$18.04

-13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 LBP 47.2K

$1.07 MX$18.78

-50.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 LBP 225.9K

$4.10 MX$71.7

-38.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 LBP 911.3K

$10.17 MX$178

0.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 LBP 116.1K

$1.68 MX$29.29

-22.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 LBP 190.2K

$2.53 MX$44.17

-15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 LBP 176.1K

$0.51 MX$8.90

286.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 LBP 6.4M

$26.04 MX$455

172.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 LBP 442.8K

$3.23 MX$56.5

53.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 LBP 113.2K

$2.41 MX$42.06

-47.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.02 LBP 1.8M

$3.23 MX$56.5

519.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 LBP 83.3K

$1.32 MX$23.10

-29.55%

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

$34.9K LBP 3.1B

$29.7K MX$519.2K

17.37%

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

$28.0K LBP 2.5B

$23.7K MX$413.7K

18.23%

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

$217 LBP 19.4M

$82.0 MX$1,434

164.42%

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

$37.42 LBP 3.3M

$22.95 MX$401

63.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.20 LBP 3.3M

$30.11 MX$527

23.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 LBP 6.1M

$52.0 MX$909

31.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.66 LBP 2.7M

$18.53 MX$324

60.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 LBP 700.5K

$4.98 MX$87.0

57.23%

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

$305 LBP 27.3M

$197 MX$3,452

54.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,511 LBP 403.7M

$5,336 MX$93.3K

-15.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 LBP 6.2M

$35.60 MX$622

95.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.73 LBP 4.0M

$40.33 MX$705

10.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 LBP 10.9M

$78.8 MX$1,377

54.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.7 LBP 8.5M

$88.9 MX$1,555

6.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 LBP 70.6M

$947 MX$16.6K

-16.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 LBP 33.7M

$474 MX$8,288

-20.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 LBP 175.1M

$1,644 MX$28.7K

19.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 LBP 86.8M

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-19.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 LBP 352.9M

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-2.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,952 LBP 174.7M

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-69.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$715 LBP 64.0M

$654 MX$11.4K

9.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

11.42

-2.28%

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

Last update for Beirut: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in Beirut and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Beirut pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Beirut vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $249, with Beirut cheaper for home cooking.

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

Beirut vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Beirut, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $789 in Beirut versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,390 per month in Beirut versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 173% less than in Beirut. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,390 in Beirut, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Beirut. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Beirut, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Beirut. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.