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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,558 in Larissa versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,333 in Larissa versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,107 in Larissa versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Larissa is roughly 19% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Larissa is 13% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.70 €10.94

$11.96 MX$203

6.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 €59.3

$47.38 MX$804

45.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 €9.11

$11.75 MX$199

-10.04%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.76

$4.12 MX$70.0

5.83%

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

$2.47 €2.13

$1.40 MX$23.74

76.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.91 MX$15.48

-34.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 €4.92

$3.21 MX$54.4

77.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.07 MX$120

-16.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.68 MX$28.44

-10.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 €1.37

$2.15 MX$36.48

-26.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.77 MX$30.10

20.90%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.72

$2.82 MX$47.76

53.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.04 €12.10

$9.20 MX$156

52.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 €8.98

$9.23 MX$157

12.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.29 €12.31

$12.64 MX$214

13.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$2.95 MX$50.1

-23.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.58 MX$26.79

24.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 €1.01

$2.22 MX$37.70

-47.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.36 MX$40.09

-19.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 €0.88

$1.99 MX$33.81

-48.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.98 MX$33.58

-39.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 €0.82

$1.24 MX$21.04

-23.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 €0.38

$1.21 MX$20.55

-62.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 €4.54

$4.60 MX$78.1

14.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.83 €5.89

$10.52 MX$178

-35.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.69 MX$28.70

6.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.77 MX$47.06

-3.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.60 MX$10.22

138.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 €49.84

$29.70 MX$504

94.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 €5.60

$5.24 MX$88.8

23.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.01

$3.65 MX$61.9

-67.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.67 €11.78

$5.78 MX$98.1

136.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.54 MX$26.09

35.06%

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

$34.9K €30.1K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

52.97%

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

$28.2K €24.3K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

9.12%

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

$353 €305

$90.7 MX$1,538

289.85%

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

$23.73 €20.45

$25.19 MX$427

-5.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.33 €27.01

$31.75 MX$539

-1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.45 €40.90

$68.8 MX$1,167

-31.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.67 €20.40

$29.37 MX$498

-19.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.41 €8.12

$4.86 MX$82.5

93.62%

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

$445 €384

$226 MX$3,828

97.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,006 €6,901

$4,194 MX$71.1K

90.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €77.1

$47.38 MX$804

88.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.04 €28.48

$43.45 MX$737

-23.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €100

$80.2 MX$1,361

45.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €119

$91.4 MX$1,550

51.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 €351

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-62.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 €261

$409 MX$6,933

-25.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 €680

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-60.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 €455

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-58.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,111 €1,820

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-47.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,578 €1,360

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-76.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 €1,039

$773 MX$13.1K

55.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

11.45

-61.14%

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

Last update for Larissa: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $407 in Larissa and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Larissa pays 56% 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: $69.0 in Larissa vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $278, with Larissa 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 56% higher in Larissa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $407 in Larissa 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 Playa del Carmen runs roughly 95% less than in Larissa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $445 in Larissa versus $226 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,558 in Larissa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Larissa. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Larissa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Larissa 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Larissa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.