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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,529 per month in Lecce vs $1,262 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,439 per month in Lecce vs $2,158 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,349 per month in Lecce vs $3,054 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lecce costs about 21% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Lecce sits 14% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 €15.04

$11.61 MX$201

52.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.6 €61.0

$42.75 MX$742

67.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 €8.74

$10.60 MX$184

-3.11%

Cappuccino

$1.95 €1.66

$3.59 MX$62.3

-45.68%

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

$2.04 €1.74

$1.45 MX$25.21

40.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.03

$0.90 MX$15.58

35.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.31 €4.52

$3.03 MX$52.6

75.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.09

$4.56 MX$79.2

5.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.45 MX$25.20

5.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.83 MX$31.72

14.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 €1.98

$1.61 MX$27.92

44.10%

Eggs

$2.69 €2.29

$2.54 MX$44.05

5.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.12 €12.02

$8.54 MX$148

65.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.06 €10.27

$8.47 MX$147

42.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.56 €14.09

$10.86 MX$189

52.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €1.99

$2.73 MX$47.37

-14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 €1.65

$1.49 MX$25.91

30.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.72

$1.94 MX$33.73

4.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 €2.77

$2.16 MX$37.57

50.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.50

$1.85 MX$32.05

-4.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 €1.50

$2.19 MX$38.00

-19.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.11

$1.07 MX$18.62

22.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 €0.42

$1.08 MX$18.81

-54.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.91 €5.88

$4.06 MX$70.5

70.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.12 €6.06

$10.46 MX$182

-31.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.19

$1.65 MX$28.71

-15.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.55 MX$44.23

-18.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 €0.97

$0.56 MX$9.65

103.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.45 €34.43

$26.20 MX$455

54.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.95 €5.06

$3.14 MX$54.5

89.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.81

$2.37 MX$41.17

-10.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.05 €28.97

$3.24 MX$56.2

950.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.72

$1.31 MX$22.81

54.20%

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

$35.3K €30.0K

$30.5K MX$530.2K

15.43%

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

$27.0K €22.9K

$23.8K MX$413.6K

13.18%

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

$179 €152

$83.1 MX$1,443

115.12%

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

$13.75 €11.70

$22.15 MX$385

-37.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.28 €24.91

$29.37 MX$510

-0.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 €62.6

$51.2 MX$889

43.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.94 €28.04

$18.69 MX$324

76.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.45 €7.19

$4.89 MX$84.9

72.80%

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

$426 €363

$199 MX$3,449

114.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,015 €6,821

$5,207 MX$90.4K

53.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.7 €73.8

$35.93 MX$624

141.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.15 €41.83

$39.39 MX$684

24.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €80.7

$80.3 MX$1,394

18.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100.0 €85.1

$87.6 MX$1,520

14.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 €524

$963 MX$16.7K

-36.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 €421

$482 MX$8,370

2.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 €1,077

$1,645 MX$28.6K

-23.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 €791

$1,192 MX$20.7K

-22.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,207 €2,729

$3,957 MX$68.7K

-18.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,663 €1,415

$6,513 MX$113.1K

-74.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,348

$726 MX$12.6K

118.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

11.42

-58.49%

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

Last update for Lecce: April 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Lecce versus $963 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 118% higher in Lecce, 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 $72 in Lecce versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $253 – 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

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

Yes – Lecce is pricier by about 21%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,294 per month in Lecce and $1,894 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Lecce and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,529 in Lecce and $1,262 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,262, than in Lecce at $1,529. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lecce it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Lecce makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.