Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Latakia and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Latakia: $478 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Latakia
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Latakia Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Latakia

🇸🇾 Syria

$478

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $478 in Latakia versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Latakia $478
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $790 in Latakia versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Latakia $790
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,103 in Latakia versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Latakia $1,103
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Latakia costs roughly 60% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Latakia 65% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.12 SYP 623

$10.86 MX$201

-52.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.68 SYP 3,607

$44.21 MX$817

-32.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 SYP 652

$11.76 MX$217

-54.42%

Cappuccino

$1.00 SYP 121

$3.68 MX$68.0

-72.83%

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

$0.93 SYP 113

$1.34 MX$24.79

-30.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 SYP 97.3

$0.82 MX$15.24

-2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 SYP 120

$3.06 MX$56.6

-67.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 SYP 373

$4.94 MX$91.2

-37.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 SYP 113

$1.47 MX$27.17

-36.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.38 SYP 46.67

$2.22 MX$40.95

-82.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 SYP 142

$1.48 MX$27.32

-20.95%

Eggs

$1.46 SYP 178

$2.49 MX$45.99

-41.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.95 SYP 481

$7.52 MX$139

-47.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 SYP 608

$7.96 MX$147

-37.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 SYP 1,726

$12.57 MX$232

12.97%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 SYP 106

$2.78 MX$51.3

-68.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 SYP 137

$1.43 MX$26.37

-21.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 SYP 89.3

$2.62 MX$48.37

-72.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 SYP 82.3

$2.14 MX$39.49

-68.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 SYP 83.4

$2.02 MX$37.38

-65.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 SYP 97.0

$1.99 MX$36.74

-59.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 SYP 52.7

$1.14 MX$21.01

-62.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 SYP 80.7

$1.20 MX$22.18

-45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 SYP 329

$4.26 MX$78.7

-36.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.98 SYP 484

$10.02 MX$185

-60.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SYP 156

$1.54 MX$28.41

-16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SYP 283

$2.66 MX$49.17

-12.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.08 SYP 9.56

$0.53 MX$9.73

-84.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 SYP 118

$4.90 MX$90.6

-80.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 SYP 71.2

$3.43 MX$63.5

-82.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 SYP 613

$5.38 MX$99.4

-6.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 SYP 128

$1.45 MX$26.76

-27.59%

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

$14.8K SYP 1.8M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

-30.01%

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

$19.1K SYP 2.3M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

-17.08%

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

$67.4 SYP 8,190

$85.4 MX$1,577

-21.04%

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

$7.38 SYP 897

$23.46 MX$434

-68.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.47 SYP 4,068

$28.43 MX$525

17.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.77 SYP 1,674

$62.2 MX$1,149

-77.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.79 SYP 1,190

$28.68 MX$530

-65.86%

Cinema Ticket

$1.17 SYP 143

$5.10 MX$94.3

-77.06%

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

$40.53 SYP 4,925

$201 MX$3,715

-79.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,493 SYP 181.5K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

-62.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.88 SYP 3,145

$44.39 MX$820

-41.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.18 SYP 2,331

$41.35 MX$764

-53.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.90 SYP 5,091

$72.7 MX$1,344

-42.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.84 SYP 4,842

$89.6 MX$1,656

-55.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$89.1 SYP 10.8K

$979 MX$18.1K

-90.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$52.2 SYP 6,339

$373 MX$6,887

-86.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$245 SYP 29.8K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-85.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 SYP 15.4K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-88.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$705 SYP 85.7K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-82.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$250 SYP 30.4K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-95.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$58.5 SYP 7,108

$738 MX$13.6K

-92.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.25

11.45

24.45%

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

Last update for Latakia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Latakia

$153 32%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 68.9% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Latakia

$108 22.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 26.8% $29

Eating Out

Latakia

$87 18.2%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 130% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Latakia

$57 11.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 95.7% $55

Accommodation & Living

Latakia

$52 10.9%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 615% $321

Sport & Entertainment

Latakia

$16 3.4%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 349% $56

Getting Around

Latakia

$4.2 * 0.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 1125% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $89.1 in Latakia and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 1161% 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: $30.00 in Latakia vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $153 vs $258 per month, with Latakia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇾 Latakia

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:16 4:16 PM

08:16 8:16 AM

8 h behind Latakia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

383,786

149,923

💱 Currency

Syrian Pound SYP £

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SYP – Syrian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇾 Syrian Pound (£)

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to SYP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Latakia Playa del Carmen 11,350 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Latakia
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Latakia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 152% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1161% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $89.1 in Latakia versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $40.53 in Latakia versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Latakia – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $478 in Latakia versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Latakia but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Latakia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Latakia 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.

Expats usually find Latakia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.