Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lelydorp and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelydorp: $198 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Lelydorp

🇸🇷 Suriname

$198

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $198 in Lelydorp versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Lelydorp $198
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $404 in Lelydorp versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Lelydorp $404
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $610 in Lelydorp versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Lelydorp $610
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Lelydorp costs roughly 84% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lelydorp 85% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.06 SRD 189

$10.92 MX$205

-53.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 SRD 1,310

$43.37 MX$814

-19.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 SRD 227

$11.78 MX$221

-48.56%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

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

$1.27 SRD 47.42

$1.28 MX$24.07

-0.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 SRD 17.35

$0.78 MX$14.70

-41.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 SRD 74.4

$3.17 MX$59.5

-37.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 SRD 114

$4.93 MX$92.7

-38.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 SRD 44.05

$1.41 MX$26.40

-16.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 SRD 36.47

$2.22 MX$41.62

-55.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 SRD 44.09

$1.42 MX$26.61

-16.90%

Eggs

$2.79 SRD 104

$2.52 MX$47.36

10.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 SRD 145

$7.70 MX$144

-49.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.79 SRD 291

$12.69 MX$238

-38.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 SRD 54.8

$1.37 MX$25.68

7.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 SRD 36.98

$1.94 MX$36.39

-48.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 SRD 36.74

$1.89 MX$35.41

-48.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 SRD 32.34

$1.18 MX$22.13

-27.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 SRD 76.9

$1.58 MX$29.73

30.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 SRD 19.42

$0.55 MX$10.39

-5.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 SRD 33.08

$1.44 MX$27.11

-38.89%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

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

$23.41 MX$439

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

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

$207 MX$3,878

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 SRD 11.3K

$735 MX$13.8K

-58.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

48.47%

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

Last update for Lelydorp: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lelydorp

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Lelydorp

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Lelydorp

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lelydorp

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Lelydorp

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Lelydorp

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Lelydorp

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays about 2.4 times 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: $35 in Lelydorp vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $115 vs $255 per month, with Lelydorp cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇷 Lelydorp

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

22:59 10:59 PM

2 h behind Lelydorp

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SRD = 2.67 USD

100 SRD = 2.4 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SRD – Surinamese Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇷 Surinamese Dollar ($)

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 37.39 SRD (100 SRD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 41.75 SRD (100 SRD = 2.4 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to SRD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lelydorp Playa del Carmen 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lelydorp
Playa del Carmen

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

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

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

Lelydorp wins on cost – living expenses run 84% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lelydorp the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Lelydorp. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

All in, you’ll spend $198 per month in Lelydorp versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Lelydorp is about 84% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 122% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $198 in Lelydorp versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Lelydorp but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lelydorp the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Lelydorp wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.