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: $1,437 in Beirut versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,353 in Beirut versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,269 in Beirut versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Beirut is 7% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 LBP 963.0K

$11.73 MX$203

-8.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.7 LBP 5.3M

$41.62 MX$720

43.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 LBP 720.0K

$10.64 MX$184

-24.44%

Cappuccino

$3.27 LBP 292.4K

$3.52 MX$60.9

-7.10%

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

$1.58 LBP 141.4K

$1.51 MX$26.12

4.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 LBP 82.4K

$0.97 MX$16.84

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 LBP 308.9K

$2.95 MX$51.0

16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 LBP 453.3K

$4.45 MX$77.0

13.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 LBP 160.5K

$1.38 MX$23.93

29.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 LBP 76.5K

$1.89 MX$32.72

-55.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 LBP 163.3K

$1.64 MX$28.32

10.98%

Eggs

$3.19 LBP 285.4K

$2.51 MX$43.34

27.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.51 LBP 1.0M

$8.34 MX$144

38.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.60 LBP 859.6K

$8.34 MX$144

15.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.36 LBP 1.0M

$10.73 MX$186

5.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 LBP 154.6K

$2.60 MX$45.04

-33.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 LBP 129.4K

$1.46 MX$25.20

-0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 LBP 103.0K

$1.90 MX$32.87

-39.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 LBP 96.9K

$2.08 MX$35.91

-48.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LBP 88.2K

$1.78 MX$30.71

-44.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 LBP 92.8K

$2.19 MX$37.80

-52.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 LBP 72.8K

$1.04 MX$17.99

-22.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 LBP 46.7K

$1.08 MX$18.62

-51.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 LBP 220.6K

$4.08 MX$70.6

-39.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 LBP 890.6K

$10.32 MX$178

-3.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 LBP 110.6K

$1.71 MX$29.61

-27.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 LBP 197.3K

$2.58 MX$44.54

-14.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 LBP 175.4K

$0.51 MX$8.81

284.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 LBP 6.4M

$26.46 MX$458

168.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 LBP 442.2K

$3.26 MX$56.4

51.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 LBP 114.5K

$2.49 MX$43.09

-48.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.91 LBP 1.8M

$3.25 MX$56.2

512.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 LBP 80.9K

$1.31 MX$22.61

-31.30%

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

$34.8K LBP 3.1B

$30.3K MX$523.7K

14.99%

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

$27.6K LBP 2.5B

$23.4K MX$405.3K

17.78%

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

$218 LBP 19.5M

$82.9 MX$1,433

162.56%

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

$37.46 LBP 3.4M

$22.22 MX$384

68.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.30 LBP 3.3M

$29.34 MX$507

27.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 LBP 6.1M

$51.6 MX$893

32.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.84 LBP 2.7M

$18.32 MX$317

62.88%

Cinema Ticket

$8.13 LBP 727.3K

$5.07 MX$87.6

60.36%

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

$297 LBP 26.6M

$201 MX$3,473

48.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,404 LBP 394.1M

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-15.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 LBP 6.4M

$36.92 MX$639

94.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.80 LBP 4.0M

$39.79 MX$688

12.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 LBP 10.8M

$78.5 MX$1,357

53.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 LBP 8.6M

$87.1 MX$1,506

9.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$809 LBP 72.4M

$973 MX$16.8K

-16.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 LBP 33.1M

$468 MX$8,090

-20.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 LBP 181.0M

$1,641 MX$28.4K

23.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 LBP 85.0M

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-22.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,685 LBP 329.8M

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-6.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,978 LBP 177.1M

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-69.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$651 LBP 58.2M

$664 MX$11.5K

-2.01%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $809 in Beirut and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Beirut vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 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.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 2% less. 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: $809 in Beirut versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,437 per month in Beirut versus $1,297 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 169% less than in Beirut. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,437 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.