Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derna and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $173 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$173

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Derna 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 Derna and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $173 per month in Derna vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Derna $173
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $335 per month in Derna vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Derna $335
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $497 per month in Derna vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Derna $497
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Derna is about 86% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Derna and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Derna 87% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 LYD 24.33

$10.92 MX$205

-65.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.79 LYD 49.95

$43.37 MX$815

-82.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.14 LYD 20.12

$11.78 MX$221

-73.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.46 LYD 2.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 LYD 3.80

Cappuccino

$0.49 LYD 3.13

$3.81 MX$71.6

-87.14%

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

$0.32 LYD 2.08

$1.28 MX$24.10

-75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 LYD 4.66

$1.41 MX$26.43

-48.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 LYD 15.29

$1.42 MX$26.64

67.61%

Eggs

$0.90 LYD 5.76

$2.52 MX$47.41

-64.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 LYD 20.41

$7.70 MX$145

-58.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 LYD 5.13

$1.37 MX$25.71

-41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 LYD 5.87

$2.55 MX$47.94

-64.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 LYD 4.75

$4.97 MX$93.4

-85.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

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

$23.41 MX$440

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.96 LYD 89.6

$28.66 MX$539

-51.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

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

$207 MX$3,882

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.77 LYD 204

$43.35 MX$815

-26.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.45 LYD 247

$41.44 MX$779

-7.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.87 LYD 249

$74.2 MX$1,394

-47.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.67 LYD 248

$89.3 MX$1,677

-56.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 LYD 1,000

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-90.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.9 LYD 590

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-91.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$195 LYD 1,250

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-95.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$76.7 LYD 492

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-98.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 LYD 1,078

$735 MX$13.8K

-77.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Derna: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Derna

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Derna

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Derna

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Derna

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Derna

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Derna

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Derna

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 4.4 times higher, 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 $8 in Derna versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $45 vs $255 – making Derna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇾 Derna

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

23:51 11:51 PM

7 h behind Derna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.14 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar (ل.د)

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.16 LYD (1 LYD = 0.14 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to LYD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Derna Playa del Carmen 10,480 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Derna
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 597% more than Derna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $259 per month in Derna and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $173 in Derna and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Derna about 86% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 469% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Derna, where all-in costs run around $173, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Derna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $173 in Derna to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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