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: $1,005 in Byblos versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,614 in Byblos versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,223 in Byblos versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Byblos costs roughly 20% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Byblos 25% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 LBP 705.7K

$11.72 MX$203

-32.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.19 LBP 3.8M

$41.89 MX$727

0.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 LBP 710.1K

$10.51 MX$182

-24.55%

Cappuccino

$2.91 LBP 260.6K

$3.59 MX$62.2

-18.94%

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

$0.98 LBP 87.5K

$1.51 MX$26.16

-35.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 LBP 90.7K

$0.92 MX$15.87

9.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 LBP 107.2K

$1.40 MX$24.21

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 LBP 55.8K

$1.88 MX$32.68

-67.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 LBP 139.6K

$1.56 MX$27.03

Eggs

$2.08 LBP 186.4K

$2.61 MX$45.25

-20.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 LBP 804.0K

$8.32 MX$144

7.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 LBP 722.6K

$8.35 MX$145

-3.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 LBP 1.1M

$10.86 MX$188

11.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 LBP 272.6K

$2.71 MX$47.04

12.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 LBP 184.3K

$1.51 MX$26.11

36.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 LBP 87.6K

$1.87 MX$32.49

-47.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 LBP 177.6K

$2.19 MX$37.98

-9.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LBP 88.3K

$1.86 MX$32.21

-46.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 LBP 91.5K

$2.23 MX$38.68

-54.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 LBP 91.1K

$1.07 MX$18.53

-4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 LBP 91.0K

$1.09 MX$18.84

-6.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

Wine (Bottle)

$3.97 LBP 355.3K

$10.43 MX$181

-61.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 LBP 134.1K

$1.66 MX$28.75

-9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 LBP 176.1K

$2.61 MX$45.30

-24.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 LBP 91.9K

$0.54 MX$9.39

90.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$454

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 LBP 85.6K

$1.31 MX$22.74

-26.72%

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

$22.2K LBP 2.0B

$29.8K MX$517.0K

-25.50%

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

$22.8K LBP 2.0B

$23.3K MX$404.5K

-2.13%

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

$102 LBP 9.1M

$81.3 MX$1,410

25.48%

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

$22.14 LBP 2.0M

$22.56 MX$391

-1.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.21 LBP 2.3M

$30.05 MX$521

-16.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.89 LBP 3.4M

$52.9 MX$918

-28.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 LBP 1.7M

$18.39 MX$319

0.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.90 LBP 886.0K

$4.92 MX$85.3

101.22%

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

$393 LBP 35.2M

$201 MX$3,483

95.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,036 LBP 271.7M

$5,175 MX$89.7K

-41.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 LBP 9.0M

$35.92 MX$623

178.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$98.3 LBP 8.8M

$40.13 MX$696

144.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 LBP 10.8M

$79.7 MX$1,382

51.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 LBP 13.6M

$86.5 MX$1,500

75.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 LBP 26.7M

$978 MX$17.0K

-69.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$227 LBP 20.3M

$470 MX$8,160

-51.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$804 LBP 71.9M

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-51.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 LBP 35.4M

$1,203 MX$20.9K

-67.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,346 LBP 120.5M

$3,953 MX$68.6K

-65.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$826 LBP 73.9M

$6,607 MX$114.6K

-87.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$988 LBP 88.4M

$677 MX$11.7K

46.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-29.95%

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

Last update for Byblos: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $298 in Byblos and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Byblos pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Byblos vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $252 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 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $298 in Byblos versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $393 in Byblos versus $201 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 $42.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,005 in Byblos versus $1,260 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 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.