Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: $487 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Learn more

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$487

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $487 per month in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $487
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $790 per month in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $790
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,093 per month in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $1,093
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is about 60% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia 64% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.49 LKR 494

$10.86 MX$201

-86.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.02 LKR 8,286

$44.21 MX$817

-43.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 LKR 2,481

$11.76 MX$217

-36.31%

Cappuccino

$2.54 LKR 840

$3.68 MX$68.0

-30.98%

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

$0.73 LKR 240

$1.34 MX$24.79

-45.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.3

$0.82 MX$15.24

-67.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 736

$3.06 MX$56.6

-27.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 993

$4.94 MX$91.2

-39.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 537

$1.47 MX$27.17

10.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 174

$2.22 MX$40.95

-76.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 267

$1.48 MX$27.32

-45.27%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 546

$2.49 MX$45.99

-33.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.93 LKR 4,614

$7.52 MX$139

85.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 LKR 1,606

$7.96 MX$147

-39.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 LKR 2,496

$12.57 MX$232

-40.02%

Apples (1kg)

$6.42 LKR 2,125

$2.78 MX$51.3

130.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$1.43 MX$26.37

-39.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 LKR 1,448

$2.62 MX$48.37

66.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 426

$2.14 MX$39.49

-39.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 332

$2.02 MX$37.38

-50.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 259

$1.99 MX$36.74

-60.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 291

$1.14 MX$21.01

-22.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 149

$1.20 MX$22.18

-62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 LKR 3,439

$4.26 MX$78.7

143.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 LKR 4,317

$10.02 MX$185

30.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 626

$1.54 MX$28.41

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 994

$2.66 MX$49.17

12.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$4.90 MX$90.6

-92.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 115

$3.43 MX$63.5

-89.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 LKR 297

$5.38 MX$99.4

-83.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 457

$1.45 MX$26.76

-4.83%

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

$43.0K LKR 14.2M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

103.11%

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

$40.5K LKR 13.4M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

75.87%

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

$58.3 LKR 19.3K

$85.4 MX$1,577

-31.68%

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

$4.28 LKR 1,418

$23.46 MX$434

-81.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 LKR 6,888

$28.43 MX$525

-26.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 LKR 1,519

$5.10 MX$94.3

-10.00%

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

$38.36 LKR 12.7K

$201 MX$3,715

-80.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,206 LKR 399.5K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

-69.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.46 LKR 6,116

$44.39 MX$820

-58.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.53 LKR 5,474

$41.35 MX$764

-60.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

$72.7 MX$1,344

8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.38 LKR 14.0K

$89.6 MX$1,656

-52.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 LKR 152.2K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-72.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 LKR 71.4K

$738 MX$13.6K

-70.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

11.45

10.83%

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

Last update for Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$236 48.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 9.4% $22

Eating Out

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$86 17.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 133% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$83 17.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 64.6% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$70 14.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 59.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$9.2 * 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 690% $63

Getting Around

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$2.1 * 0.4%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 2338% $50

Accommodation & Living

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 242% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $258 – making Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

03:50 3:50 AM

10 h 30 min behind Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,827

149,923

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Playa del Carmen 16,640 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 147% more than Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $730 per month in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, where all-in costs run around $487, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia costs $487 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.