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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $992 in Byblos versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,626 in Byblos versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,261 in Byblos versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Byblos costs roughly 22% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Byblos 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.24 LBP 827.3K

$11.60 MX$199

-20.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.14 LBP 3.9M

$47.11 MX$808

-8.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 LBP 631.7K

$11.88 MX$204

-40.57%

Cappuccino

$3.08 LBP 275.2K

$3.98 MX$68.2

-22.61%

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

$0.97 LBP 87.0K

$1.43 MX$24.46

-32.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 LBP 87.7K

$0.82 MX$14.14

19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$116

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 LBP 112.3K

$1.68 MX$28.72

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 LBP 54.6K

$2.20 MX$37.67

-72.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 LBP 139.1K

$1.71 MX$29.29

-9.36%

Eggs

$2.16 LBP 193.0K

$2.74 MX$46.99

-21.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 LBP 785.9K

$9.58 MX$164

-8.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 LBP 741.7K

$9.01 MX$154

-7.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.77 LBP 1.1M

$12.81 MX$220

-8.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 LBP 265.4K

$2.89 MX$49.52

2.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 LBP 181.7K

$1.50 MX$25.67

35.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 LBP 88.4K

$2.15 MX$36.83

-53.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 LBP 176.8K

$2.26 MX$38.74

-12.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LBP 88.2K

$1.98 MX$33.96

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 LBP 88.4K

$1.99 MX$34.11

-50.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 LBP 88.3K

$1.23 MX$21.16

-19.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 LBP 87.6K

$1.20 MX$20.52

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.0

Wine (Bottle)

$3.94 LBP 352.2K

$10.37 MX$178

-62.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 LBP 139.8K

$1.62 MX$27.76

-3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 LBP 174.5K

$2.88 MX$49.39

-32.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 LBP 90.4K

$0.60 MX$10.29

68.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 LBP 87.8K

$3.73 MX$63.9

-73.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$98.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 LBP 81.0K

$1.54 MX$26.34

-41.56%

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

$22.8K LBP 2.0B

$22.5K MX$386.6K

1.31%

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

$22.6K LBP 2.0B

$26.1K MX$446.7K

-13.44%

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

$101 LBP 9.0M

$91.4 MX$1,567

10.52%

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

$22.88 LBP 2.0M

$25.20 MX$432

-9.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.04 LBP 2.2M

$31.24 MX$536

-19.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.03 LBP 3.4M

$67.2 MX$1,152

-43.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.82 LBP 3.6M

$29.11 MX$499

36.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 LBP 902.2K

$4.86 MX$83.4

107.41%

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

$402 LBP 36.0M

$224 MX$3,834

79.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,973 LBP 266.1M

$4,229 MX$72.5K

-29.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 LBP 9.0M

$47.10 MX$808

113.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$99.8 LBP 8.9M

$44.29 MX$759

125.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 LBP 10.8M

$80.1 MX$1,373

50.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 LBP 13.3M

$92.7 MX$1,589

60.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 LBP 26.3M

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-72.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$226 LBP 20.3M

$390 MX$6,690

-42.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 LBP 72.9M

$2,149 MX$36.8K

-62.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 LBP 35.5M

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-68.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,340 LBP 119.9M

$4,001 MX$68.6K

-66.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$849 LBP 76.0M

$6,502 MX$111.5K

-86.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$991 LBP 88.7M

$758 MX$13.0K

30.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-30.13%

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

Last update for Byblos: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $294 in Byblos and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Byblos pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Byblos vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $276 per month, with Byblos 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

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

Byblos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Byblos, 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: $294 in Byblos versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $402 in Byblos versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Byblos – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $992 in Byblos versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Byblos but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Byblos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Byblos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.