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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,919 per month in Levin vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,841 per month in Levin vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,762 per month in Levin vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Levin costs about 52% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Levin sits 40% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.92 NZ$24.34

$11.60 MX$200

20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.5 NZ$114

$47.11 MX$812

38.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 NZ$16.56

$11.88 MX$205

-20.29%

Cappuccino

$2.95 NZ$5.16

$3.98 MX$68.6

-25.88%

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

$2.46 NZ$4.31

$1.43 MX$24.60

72.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.11

$0.82 MX$14.22

117.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.44 NZ$13.01

$3.19 MX$55.0

133.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 NZ$11.77

$6.79 MX$117

-0.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 NZ$3.36

$1.68 MX$28.89

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 NZ$1.62

$2.20 MX$37.88

-57.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 NZ$2.97

$1.71 MX$29.45

-0.58%

Eggs

$7.17 NZ$12.54

$2.74 MX$47.26

161.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 NZ$11.87

$9.58 MX$165

-29.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.62 NZ$13.32

$9.01 MX$155

-15.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 NZ$17.44

$12.81 MX$221

-22.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.11

$2.89 MX$49.81

-38.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.72

$1.50 MX$25.81

42.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NZ$5.33

$2.15 MX$37.03

41.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.32

$2.26 MX$38.96

-15.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 NZ$3.56

$1.98 MX$34.15

3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 NZ$2.20

$1.99 MX$34.30

-36.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 NZ$3.27

$1.23 MX$21.28

52.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.96

$1.20 MX$20.63

-54.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.91 NZ$33.06

$4.55 MX$78.5

315.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.56 NZ$20.21

$10.37 MX$179

11.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 NZ$5.87

$1.62 MX$27.91

107.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 NZ$4.91

$2.88 MX$49.67

-2.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 NZ$2.94

$0.60 MX$10.35

180.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.0 NZ$129

$28.80 MX$497

157.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 NZ$3.37

$5.39 MX$92.9

-64.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 NZ$3.29

$3.73 MX$64.3

-49.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.58 NZ$60.5

$5.77 MX$99.5

499.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 NZ$2.79

$1.54 MX$26.48

3.25%

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

$25.8K NZ$45.0K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

14.26%

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

$26.0K NZ$45.5K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

-0.21%

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

$202 NZ$354

$91.4 MX$1,576

121.34%

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

$22.32 NZ$39.03

$25.20 MX$435

-11.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 NZ$96.5

$31.24 MX$539

76.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 NZ$70.9

$67.2 MX$1,159

-39.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 NZ$18.24

$4.86 MX$83.8

114.61%

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

$1,101 NZ$1,925

$224 MX$3,856

392.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NZ$22.8K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

208.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 NZ$138

$47.10 MX$812

67.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.96 NZ$40.14

$44.29 MX$764

-48.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 NZ$89.9

$80.1 MX$1,381

-35.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 NZ$200

$92.7 MX$1,598

23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 NZ$1,828

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-1.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$839 NZ$1,466

$390 MX$6,728

114.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 NZ$2,122

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-43.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 NZ$2,659

$1,272 MX$21.9K

19.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,421 NZ$7,728

$4,001 MX$69.0K

10.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,147 NZ$5,501

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-51.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

11.45

-52.93%

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

Last update for Levin: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,046 in Levin versus $1,063 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Levin versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Levin vs $276 in Playa del Carmen – so Levin 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,919 in Levin, $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 52% apart. Levin costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,878 per month in Levin and $1,899 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.

Public transport costs about 157% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,101 per month in Levin and $224 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Levin at $1,919. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Levin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,266 in Playa del Carmen to $1,919 in Levin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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