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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $997 in Lalmatie versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Lalmatie versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,176 in Lalmatie versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lalmatie costs roughly 24% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lalmatie 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.83 MUR 273

$11.96 MX$203

-51.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.69 MUR 1,810

$47.38 MX$804

-18.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 MUR 355

$11.75 MX$199

-35.49%

Cappuccino

$2.60 MUR 122

$4.12 MX$70.0

-36.89%

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

$1.02 MUR 47.70

$1.40 MX$23.74

-27.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 MUR 22.34

$0.91 MX$15.48

-47.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 MUR 86.8

$3.21 MX$54.4

-42.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 MUR 102

$7.07 MX$120

-69.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MUR 72.5

$1.68 MX$28.44

-7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.18 MUR 8.33

$2.15 MX$36.48

-91.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 MUR 53.5

$1.77 MX$30.10

-35.59%

Eggs

$2.65 MUR 124

$2.82 MX$47.76

-6.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.32 MUR 249

$9.20 MX$156

-42.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 MUR 288

$9.23 MX$157

-33.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 MUR 539

$12.64 MX$214

-8.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 MUR 128

$2.95 MX$50.1

-7.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 MUR 115

$1.58 MX$26.79

55.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MUR 68.4

$2.22 MX$37.70

-34.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 MUR 94.4

$2.36 MX$40.09

-14.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 46.73

$1.99 MX$33.81

-49.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 44.69

$1.98 MX$33.58

-52.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MUR 32.54

$1.24 MX$21.04

-43.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 MUR 39.40

$1.21 MX$20.55

-30.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.49 MUR 304

$4.60 MX$78.1

41.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 MUR 360

$10.52 MX$178

-26.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MUR 76.3

$1.69 MX$28.70

-3.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 MUR 111

$2.77 MX$47.06

-14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 MUR 50.6

$0.60 MX$10.22

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 MUR 2,515

$29.70 MX$504

80.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 MUR 200

$5.24 MX$88.8

-18.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 MUR 57.7

$3.65 MX$61.9

-66.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.61 MUR 1,011

$5.78 MX$98.1

273.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MUR 64.6

$1.54 MX$26.09

-10.39%

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

$36.2K MUR 1.7M

$22.8K MX$386.8K

58.75%

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

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

$25.8K MX$437.9K

22.80%

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

$45.94 MUR 2,150

$90.7 MX$1,538

-49.33%

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

$10.47 MUR 490

$25.19 MX$427

-58.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.23 MUR 1,368

$31.75 MX$539

-7.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.24 MUR 1,649

$68.8 MX$1,167

-48.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 MUR 291

$4.86 MX$82.5

27.98%

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

$98.1 MUR 4,591

$226 MX$3,828

-56.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,613 MUR 356.3K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

81.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.26 MUR 574

$47.38 MX$804

-74.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.68 MUR 1,155

$43.45 MX$737

-43.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.16 MUR 2,301

$80.2 MX$1,361

-38.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.04 MUR 1,780

$91.4 MX$1,550

-58.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 MUR 27.3K

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-46.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 MUR 18.7K

$409 MX$6,933

-2.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 MUR 52.0K

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-43.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 MUR 40.0K

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-33.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 MUR 29.2K

$773 MX$13.1K

-19.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.45

-41.75%

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

Last update for Lalmatie: September 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $584 in Lalmatie and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $39.00 in Lalmatie vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $278 per month, with Lalmatie 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

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

Lalmatie is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $584 in Lalmatie versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lalmatie runs roughly 81% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $98.1 in Lalmatie versus $226 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $997 in Lalmatie versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lalmatie but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lalmatie the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lalmatie 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.

Safety-wise, Lalmatie and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lalmatie gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.