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: $971 in Lalmatie versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Lalmatie versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,217 in Lalmatie versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lalmatie costs roughly 25% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lalmatie 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.75 MUR 319

$11.73 MX$203

-42.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.02 MUR 2,080

$41.62 MX$720

5.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 MUR 331

$10.64 MX$184

-34.21%

Cappuccino

$2.66 MUR 126

$3.52 MX$60.9

-24.43%

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

$0.96 MUR 45.18

$1.51 MX$26.12

-36.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 MUR 23.25

$0.97 MX$16.84

-49.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 MUR 88.2

$2.95 MX$51.0

-36.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 MUR 102

$4.45 MX$77.0

-51.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MUR 80.2

$1.38 MX$23.93

23.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.17 MUR 7.93

$1.89 MX$32.72

-91.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 MUR 60.8

$1.64 MX$28.32

-21.34%

Eggs

$2.35 MUR 111

$2.51 MX$43.34

-6.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 MUR 594

$8.34 MX$144

50.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 MUR 300

$8.34 MX$144

-23.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MUR 604

$10.73 MX$186

19.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 MUR 94.0

$2.60 MX$45.04

-23.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MUR 92.7

$1.46 MX$25.20

34.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 MUR 70.1

$1.90 MX$32.87

-22.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MUR 98.2

$2.08 MX$35.91

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.09

$1.78 MX$30.71

-43.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MUR 44.07

$2.19 MX$37.80

-57.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 MUR 34.90

$1.04 MX$17.99

-28.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 MUR 37.86

$1.08 MX$18.62

-25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 MUR 320

$4.08 MX$70.6

65.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.44 MUR 351

$10.32 MX$178

-27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MUR 84.3

$1.71 MX$29.61

4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 MUR 107

$2.58 MX$44.54

-12.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 MUR 48.99

$0.51 MX$8.81

103.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.8 MUR 2,591

$26.46 MX$458

107.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 MUR 209

$3.26 MX$56.4

35.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 MUR 57.6

$2.49 MX$43.09

-51.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.11 MUR 950

$3.25 MX$56.2

518.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MUR 66.1

$1.31 MX$22.61

6.87%

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

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

17.24%

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

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

20.90%

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

$46.78 MUR 2,210

$82.9 MX$1,433

-43.55%

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

$12.77 MUR 603

$22.22 MX$384

-42.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.13 MUR 1,565

$29.34 MX$507

12.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.92 MUR 1,792

$51.6 MX$893

-26.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.93 MUR 280

$5.07 MX$87.6

16.96%

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

$100 MUR 4,734

$201 MX$3,473

-50.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,982 MUR 188.1K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-23.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.67 MUR 598

$36.92 MX$639

-65.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.17 MUR 1,189

$39.79 MX$688

-36.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.8 MUR 2,398

$78.5 MX$1,357

-35.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.15 MUR 1,803

$87.1 MX$1,506

-56.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 MUR 24.4K

$973 MX$16.8K

-46.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 MUR 16.8K

$468 MX$8,090

-23.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 MUR 45.6K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-41.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 MUR 34.5K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-40.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 MUR 29.5K

$664 MX$11.5K

-6.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.42

-41.59%

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

Last update for Lalmatie: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Lalmatie and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 6% 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: $44.00 in Lalmatie vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $249, with Lalmatie cheaper for home cooking.

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 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 6% less. 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: $517 in Lalmatie versus $973 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 107% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $100 in Lalmatie versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $971 in Lalmatie versus $1,297 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 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.