Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lanzarote and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,605 in Lanzarote, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lanzarote, Spain
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Lanzarote
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,605
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,605 per month in Lanzarote vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Lanzarote $1,605
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,427 per month in Lanzarote vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Lanzarote $2,427
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,250 per month in Lanzarote vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Lanzarote $3,250
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Lanzarote costs about 33% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Lanzarote sits 18% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lanzarote
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.68 €12.25
$10.92 MX$205
25.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.4 €64.8
$43.37 MX$814
66.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.58 €9.48
$11.78 MX$221
-10.19%
Cappuccino
$2.47 €2.22
$3.81 MX$71.5
-35.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.91
$1.28 MX$24.07
66.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 €1.45
$0.78 MX$14.70
107.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 €2.78
$3.17 MX$59.5
-2.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 €3.31
$4.93 MX$92.7
-25.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lanzarote
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.41 MX$26.40
-22.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 €1.30
$2.22 MX$41.62
-34.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.58 €1.41
$1.42 MX$26.61
11.27%
Eggs
$3.53 €3.16
$2.52 MX$47.36
40.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.19 €10.92
$7.26 MX$136
67.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.92 €8.88
$7.70 MX$144
28.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.20 €16.30
$12.69 MX$238
43.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.30
$2.78 MX$52.3
-7.91%
Banana (1kg)
$2.57 €2.30
$1.37 MX$25.68
87.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 €1.99
$2.55 MX$47.89
-12.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.53 €2.27
$2.12 MX$39.86
19.34%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 €1.60
$1.94 MX$36.39
-8.25%
Onion (1kg)
$2.39 €2.14
$1.89 MX$35.41
26.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.15 MX$21.53
75.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 €0.77
$1.18 MX$22.13
-27.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.54 €4.07
$4.30 MX$80.6
5.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.75 €6.05
$9.95 MX$187
-32.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.58 MX$29.73
10.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 €2.42
$2.67 MX$50.1
1.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Lanzarote
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.66 €1.49
$0.55 MX$10.39
201.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.06 €29.61
$26.62 MX$500
24.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 €2.99
$4.97 MX$93.3
-32.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.18 €1.95
$3.33 MX$62.5
-34.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.60 €24.72
$5.36 MX$101
414.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.76 €1.58
$1.44 MX$27.11
22.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K €26.8K
$20.7K MX$388.0K
44.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.6K €28.3K
$23.5K MX$440.5K
34.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lanzarote
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$114 €102
$84.8 MX$1,592
34.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.99 €17.91
$23.41 MX$439
-14.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.15 €25.21
$28.66 MX$538
-1.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lanzarote
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.61 €39.95
$57.1 MX$1,071
-21.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.00 €14.33
$28.91 MX$543
-44.66%
Cinema Ticket
$9.03 €8.09
$5.14 MX$96.5
75.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lanzarote
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$478 €428
$207 MX$3,878
131.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,573 €5,887
$3,927 MX$73.7K
67.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lanzarote
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.2 €79.0
$43.35 MX$814
103.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.58 €34.55
$41.44 MX$778
-6.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.1 €81.6
$74.2 MX$1,393
22.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €108
$89.3 MX$1,676
34.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lanzarote
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$879 €787
$980 MX$18.4K
-10.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$672 €602
$381 MX$7,150
76.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,371 €1,228
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-19.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,001 €896
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-6.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,289 €2,945
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-16.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,171 €1,944
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-64.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lanzarote
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,683 €1,507
$735 MX$13.8K
129.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.15
11.45
-72.49%

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

Last update for Lanzarote: October 25, 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
Lanzarote
$672
Playa del Carmen
$381 43.4% $292
Groceries & Markets
Lanzarote
$293
Playa del Carmen
$255 12.9% $38
Eating Out
Lanzarote
$209
Playa del Carmen
$202 3.1% $6.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lanzarote
$162
Playa del Carmen
$137 15.7% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Lanzarote
$152
Playa del Carmen
$112 26.6% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Lanzarote
$63
Playa del Carmen
$67 7.4% $4.7
Getting Around
Lanzarote
$54
Playa del Carmen
$50 6.5% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $879 in Lanzarote versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lanzarote are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Lanzarote versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Lanzarote
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
13:48 1:48 PM
08:48 8:48 AM
5 h behind Lanzarote
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,228
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lanzarote Playa del Carmen 7,360 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lanzarote
  • 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
Lanzarote vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lanzarote and in Playa del Carmen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,605 in Lanzarote, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Lanzarote compared to Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,407 per month in Lanzarote and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lanzarote and Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lanzarote, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $879 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lanzarote or Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,605 in Lanzarote and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 25% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Lanzarote and in Playa del Carmen?
Public transport costs about 19% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Lanzarote at $1,605. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lanzarote it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Lanzarote and Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,605 in Lanzarote. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Lanzarote and Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lanzarote makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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