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: $1,655 in Beirut versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Beirut versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,705 in Beirut versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Beirut is roughly 27% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Beirut is 20% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.16 LBP 1.1M

$11.96 MX$203

1.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 LBP 5.7M

$47.38 MX$804

34.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 LBP 899.8K

$11.75 MX$199

-14.47%

Cappuccino

$4.67 LBP 417.8K

$4.12 MX$70.0

13.35%

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

$2.36 LBP 210.9K

$1.40 MX$23.74

68.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 LBP 79.4K

$0.91 MX$15.48

-2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 LBP 446.0K

$3.21 MX$54.4

55.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 LBP 451.9K

$7.07 MX$120

-28.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 LBP 172.6K

$1.68 MX$28.44

14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 LBP 79.6K

$2.15 MX$36.48

-58.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 LBP 192.0K

$1.77 MX$30.10

20.90%

Eggs

$3.65 LBP 326.4K

$2.82 MX$47.76

29.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 LBP 1.2M

$9.20 MX$156

48.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 LBP 965.1K

$9.23 MX$157

16.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 LBP 1.3M

$12.64 MX$214

12.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 LBP 275.6K

$2.95 MX$50.1

4.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 LBP 152.1K

$1.58 MX$26.79

7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 LBP 148.8K

$2.22 MX$37.70

-25.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 LBP 133.1K

$2.36 MX$40.09

-36.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 LBP 121.3K

$1.99 MX$33.81

-31.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 LBP 148.5K

$1.98 MX$33.58

-16.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 LBP 104.7K

$1.24 MX$21.04

-5.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 LBP 66.2K

$1.21 MX$20.55

-38.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 LBP 271.5K

$4.60 MX$78.1

-34.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.80 LBP 877.2K

$10.52 MX$178

-6.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 LBP 117.4K

$1.69 MX$28.70

-22.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 LBP 222.5K

$2.77 MX$47.06

-10.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 LBP 200.2K

$0.60 MX$10.22

273.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.1 LBP 6.9M

$29.70 MX$504

159.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 LBP 436.8K

$5.24 MX$88.8

-6.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 LBP 206.3K

$3.65 MX$61.9

-36.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.46 LBP 2.0M

$5.78 MX$98.1

288.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LBP 89.9K

$1.54 MX$26.09

-35.06%

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

$52.5K LBP 4.7B

$22.8K MX$386.8K

130.42%

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

$32.5K LBP 2.9B

$25.8K MX$437.9K

25.86%

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

$227 LBP 20.4M

$90.7 MX$1,538

150.78%

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

$23.70 LBP 2.1M

$25.19 MX$427

-5.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.37 LBP 3.4M

$31.75 MX$539

20.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.7 LBP 7.6M

$68.8 MX$1,167

23.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.38 LBP 3.1M

$29.37 MX$498

17.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 LBP 908.6K

$4.86 MX$82.5

108.85%

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

$680 LBP 60.9M

$226 MX$3,828

201.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K LBP 967.7M

$4,194 MX$71.1K

157.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 LBP 6.1M

$47.38 MX$804

44.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.01 LBP 4.4M

$43.45 MX$737

12.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 LBP 12.4M

$80.2 MX$1,361

72.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 LBP 10.8M

$91.4 MX$1,550

32.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 LBP 83.1M

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-14.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 LBP 45.1M

$409 MX$6,933

23.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 LBP 201.8M

$1,972 MX$33.5K

14.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 LBP 94.7M

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-17.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,902 LBP 349.3M

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-3.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,805 LBP 161.6M

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-73.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$716 LBP 64.1M

$773 MX$13.1K

-7.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-3.93%

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

Last update for Beirut: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $929 in Beirut and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Beirut vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $278 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $929 in Beirut versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,655 per month in Beirut versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 27% 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 160% less than in Beirut. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,655 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 27% less than in Beirut. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.