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: $1,490 in Larissa versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,238 in Larissa versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,985 in Larissa versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Larissa is roughly 18% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Larissa is 12% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.23 €11.53

$11.72 MX$204

12.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 €50.4

$41.89 MX$731

38.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 €8.23

$10.51 MX$183

-10.09%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.62

$3.59 MX$62.5

15.60%

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

$1.70 €1.48

$1.51 MX$26.31

12.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.52

$0.92 MX$15.96

-35.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €4.96

$2.96 MX$51.6

92.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.92

$4.41 MX$76.9

28.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.40 MX$24.35

5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 €1.42

$1.88 MX$32.87

-13.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.56 MX$27.19

41.67%

Eggs

$4.09 €3.57

$2.61 MX$45.50

56.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 €11.85

$8.32 MX$145

63.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.81 €8.55

$8.35 MX$146

17.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 €11.32

$10.86 MX$189

19.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 €2.03

$2.71 MX$47.31

-14.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.51 MX$26.25

22.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.87 MX$32.67

-42.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.19 MX$38.19

-7.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 €0.93

$1.86 MX$32.40

-42.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 €1.11

$2.23 MX$38.90

-42.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 €0.87

$1.07 MX$18.63

-6.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 €0.42

$1.09 MX$18.94

-55.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 €4.56

$4.19 MX$73.0

24.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.72 €5.86

$10.43 MX$182

-35.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.41

$1.66 MX$28.91

-2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.10

$2.61 MX$45.56

-8.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.23

$0.54 MX$9.45

161.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.08 €41.04

$26.16 MX$456

79.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 €6.44

$3.08 MX$53.7

139.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.88 €12.10

$3.13 MX$54.5

343.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.31 MX$22.87

59.54%

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

$34.2K €29.8K

$29.8K MX$519.9K

14.65%

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

$29.2K €25.4K

$23.3K MX$406.8K

25.14%

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

$350 €305

$81.3 MX$1,418

330.35%

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

$23.35 €20.35

$22.56 MX$393

3.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 €27.41

$30.05 MX$524

4.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 €39.44

$52.9 MX$923

-14.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.18 €22.82

$18.39 MX$321

42.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.55 €8.33

$4.92 MX$85.8

94.11%

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

$515 €449

$201 MX$3,502

156.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,498 €4,794

$5,175 MX$90.2K

6.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €98.2

$35.92 MX$627

213.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 €34.24

$40.13 MX$700

-2.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.7

$79.7 MX$1,390

27.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 €83.3

$86.5 MX$1,508

10.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 €345

$978 MX$17.1K

-59.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 €256

$470 MX$8,206

-37.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 €534

$1,651 MX$28.8K

-62.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 €456

$1,203 MX$21.0K

-56.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,064 €1,800

$3,953 MX$69.0K

-47.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,530 €1,334

$6,607 MX$115.2K

-76.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,195 €1,042

$677 MX$11.8K

76.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

11.42

-62.00%

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

Last update for Larissa: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Larissa and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Larissa pays 77% 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: $58.0 in Larissa vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $252 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 77% 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: $396 in Larissa versus $978 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 80% less than in Larissa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $515 in Larissa versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,490 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 18% less than in Larissa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.