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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,016 in Lima versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,623 in Lima versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,229 in Lima versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lima costs roughly 21% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 PEN 14.63

$11.71 MX$198

-62.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.17 PEN 108

$46.59 MX$788

-30.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 PEN 23.65

$11.65 MX$197

-39.66%

Cappuccino

$3.23 PEN 10.87

$4.09 MX$69.2

-21.03%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.81

$1.37 MX$23.23

-17.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.08

$0.83 MX$14.09

-25.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 PEN 9.02

$3.35 MX$56.7

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 PEN 15.24

$6.91 MX$117

-34.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 PEN 5.51

$1.73 MX$29.20

-5.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 PEN 8.75

$2.26 MX$38.21

15.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.51

$1.77 MX$29.91

-24.29%

Eggs

$3.05 PEN 10.27

$2.73 MX$46.19

11.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 PEN 30.31

$9.18 MX$155

-1.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 PEN 19.93

$8.92 MX$151

-33.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 PEN 32.97

$12.60 MX$213

-22.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 PEN 7.05

$3.02 MX$51.1

-30.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.54

$1.57 MX$26.55

-33.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.89

$2.13 MX$35.93

-31.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.04

$2.26 MX$38.28

-33.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.11

$2.00 MX$33.88

-53.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 PEN 3.17

$2.06 MX$34.90

-54.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.01

$1.18 MX$19.94

-24.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 PEN 3.20

$1.20 MX$20.35

-20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 PEN 19.56

$4.63 MX$78.4

25.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 PEN 30.35

$10.69 MX$181

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 PEN 6.52

$1.62 MX$27.38

19.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 PEN 10.85

$2.88 MX$48.70

12.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 PEN 2.31

$0.57 MX$9.69

21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.19 PEN 91.5

$29.83 MX$504

-8.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 PEN 13.11

$5.45 MX$92.1

-28.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 PEN 6.83

$3.70 MX$62.6

-45.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 PEN 25.05

$5.98 MX$101

24.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.77

$1.55 MX$26.26

10.32%

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

$22.2K PEN 74.6K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

-0.61%

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

$26.7K PEN 89.9K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

2.99%

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

$71.1 PEN 239

$89.1 MX$1,507

-20.26%

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

$16.93 PEN 56.9

$25.04 MX$423

-32.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 PEN 95.2

$31.50 MX$532

-10.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.80 PEN 114

$67.8 MX$1,146

-50.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.96 PEN 67.2

$28.92 MX$489

-30.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 PEN 24.30

$5.05 MX$85.4

43.17%

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

$181 PEN 608

$225 MX$3,803

-19.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K PEN 45.2K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

218.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 PEN 182

$47.44 MX$802

13.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.57 PEN 120

$44.98 MX$760

-20.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 PEN 289

$82.0 MX$1,386

4.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 PEN 273

$92.1 MX$1,557

-12.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 PEN 2,551

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-29.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 PEN 1,165

$405 MX$6,852

-14.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 PEN 4,218

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-35.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 PEN 2,172

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-50.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,479 PEN 8,338

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-37.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 PEN 4,678

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-79.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 PEN 2,249

$749 MX$12.7K

-10.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

11.45

-21.92%

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

Last update for Lima: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $759 in Lima and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 12% 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: $32.00 in Lima vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $277 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

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

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

Lima and Playa del Carmen differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,016 vs $1,293 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% 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: $759 in Lima versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $181 in Lima versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,016 in Lima versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lima 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.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.