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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,464 per month in Leiria vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,149 per month in Leiria vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,835 per month in Leiria vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Leiria costs about 13% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Leiria sits 9% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.54 €9.93

$11.73 MX$203

-1.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.64 €40.16

$41.62 MX$721

12.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 €8.13

$10.64 MX$184

-11.18%

Cappuccino

$1.58 €1.36

$3.52 MX$61.0

-55.11%

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

$2.02 €1.74

$1.51 MX$26.17

33.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$0.97 MX$16.87

46.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.95 MX$51.1

18.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.03

$4.45 MX$77.2

-20.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.38 MX$23.97

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.89 MX$32.78

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.64 MX$28.37

-17.07%

Eggs

$3.04 €2.62

$2.51 MX$43.42

21.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.52 €10.78

$8.34 MX$145

50.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 €6.07

$8.34 MX$145

-15.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 €10.02

$10.73 MX$186

8.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.60 MX$45.12

-28.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.46 MX$25.25

-10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.90 MX$32.94

-23.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.12

$2.08 MX$35.98

18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.78 MX$30.77

-26.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.19 MX$37.87

-15.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.04 MX$18.02

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.08 MX$18.66

-25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.37 €5.49

$4.08 MX$70.7

56.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.88

$10.32 MX$179

-45.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.71 MX$29.67

-24.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$2.58 MX$44.63

-39.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.63

$0.51 MX$8.83

270.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.47 €9.02

$26.46 MX$459

-60.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.52

$3.26 MX$56.5

25.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 €0.74

$2.49 MX$43.17

-65.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.77 €16.16

$3.25 MX$56.3

477.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.31 MX$22.65

54.96%

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

$34.2K €29.4K

$30.3K MX$524.7K

12.86%

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

$39.9K €34.4K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

70.31%

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

$120 €103

$82.9 MX$1,436

44.99%

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

$20.71 €17.84

$22.22 MX$385

-6.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.27 €33.82

$29.34 MX$508

33.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.81 €33.42

$51.6 MX$895

-24.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.00 €12.06

$18.32 MX$317

-23.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.45 €8.13

$5.07 MX$87.8

86.39%

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

$609 €524

$201 MX$3,480

203.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,257 €5,388

$5,212 MX$90.3K

20.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 €68.6

$36.92 MX$640

115.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.06 €26.75

$39.79 MX$689

-21.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 €81.4

$78.5 MX$1,360

20.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €105

$87.1 MX$1,509

40.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 €701

$973 MX$16.9K

-16.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €562

$468 MX$8,105

39.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 €1,006

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-28.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$991 €853

$1,221 MX$21.2K

-18.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,756 €2,373

$3,946 MX$68.4K

-30.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,048 €1,763

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-68.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,360 €1,171

$664 MX$11.5K

104.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.42

-66.64%

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

Last update for Leiria: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $814 in Leiria versus $973 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 105% higher in Leiria, 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 $47.00 in Leiria versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Leiria vs $249 in Playa del Carmen – so Leiria wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Yes – Leiria is pricier by about 13%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,196 per month in Leiria and $1,945 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Leiria – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Leiria and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Leiria at $1,464. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leiria 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, Leiria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.