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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,630 per month in Lanzarote vs $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,408 per month in Lanzarote vs $2,189 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,187 per month in Lanzarote vs $3,084 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lanzarote costs about 26% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Lanzarote sits 22% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.03 €10.36

$11.73 MX$202

2.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 €50.6

$41.78 MX$719

40.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 €9.12

$10.41 MX$179

1.73%

Cappuccino

$2.21 €1.91

$3.61 MX$62.1

-38.78%

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

$2.13 €1.84

$1.46 MX$25.06

45.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$0.97 MX$16.70

24.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.92 MX$50.3

-2.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 €3.66

$4.62 MX$79.5

-8.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.43 MX$24.59

-16.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.90 MX$32.70

-26.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.57 MX$26.95

37.58%

Eggs

$3.26 €2.81

$2.64 MX$45.34

23.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 €10.01

$8.44 MX$145

37.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 €8.78

$8.58 MX$148

18.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.17 €14.79

$11.00 MX$189

56.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 €2.10

$2.70 MX$46.51

-9.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$1.51 MX$25.92

60.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.91 MX$32.93

17.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.17 MX$37.37

15.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.87 MX$32.25

-5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.23 MX$38.43

25.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.08 MX$18.60

73.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.07 MX$18.47

-14.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 €4.10

$4.16 MX$71.6

14.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 €5.85

$10.29 MX$177

-33.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.68 MX$28.95

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 €3.25

$2.53 MX$43.59

49.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.55 MX$9.53

201.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.40 €29.62

$26.29 MX$452

30.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 €2.95

$3.20 MX$55.0

7.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.46 MX$42.37

-17.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.81 €19.64

$3.20 MX$55.0

612.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.32 MX$22.72

26.52%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$30.2K MX$518.8K

29.49%

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

$29.6K €25.5K

$23.4K MX$402.5K

26.38%

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

$79.7 €68.7

$81.4 MX$1,400

-1.99%

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

$20.75 €17.87

$22.41 MX$386

-7.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 €25.26

$29.97 MX$516

-2.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.07 €41.40

$51.6 MX$887

-6.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.93 €12.86

$18.39 MX$316

-18.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.33 €8.04

$5.16 MX$88.9

80.81%

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

$529 €455

$202 MX$3,471

162.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,524 €5,618

$5,311 MX$91.4K

22.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.6

$35.61 MX$613

192.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 €45.13

$40.37 MX$695

29.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.1

$78.6 MX$1,353

37.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €124

$86.9 MX$1,495

65.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 €730

$950 MX$16.3K

-10.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 €597

$478 MX$8,227

44.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 €1,133

$1,621 MX$27.9K

-18.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 €868

$1,223 MX$21.0K

-17.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,467 €2,986

$4,009 MX$69.0K

-13.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,108 €1,815

$6,473 MX$111.4K

-67.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,732 €1,491

$673 MX$11.6K

157.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

11.42

-69.96%

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

Last update for Lanzarote: June 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $848 in Lanzarote versus $950 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 run about 157% higher in Lanzarote, 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 $59.0 in Lanzarote versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $254 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,630 in Lanzarote, $1,294 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 26% apart. Lanzarote costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,444 per month in Lanzarote and $1,941 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,630 in Lanzarote and $1,294 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Lanzarote at $1,630. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lanzarote 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 $1,294 in Playa del Carmen to $1,630 in Lanzarote. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lanzarote makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.