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: $985 in Lima versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,537 in Lima versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,089 in Lima versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lima costs roughly 24% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 27% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 PEN 13.98

$11.73 MX$203

-64.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 PEN 112

$41.62 MX$721

-20.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 PEN 23.81

$10.64 MX$184

-34.21%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PEN 8.64

$3.52 MX$61.0

-27.84%

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

$0.92 PEN 3.14

$1.51 MX$26.17

-39.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.06

$0.97 MX$16.87

-37.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PEN 7.62

$2.95 MX$51.1

-24.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 PEN 13.08

$4.45 MX$77.2

-13.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.79

$1.38 MX$23.97

2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 PEN 9.30

$1.89 MX$32.78

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.44

$1.64 MX$28.37

-20.73%

Eggs

$2.96 PEN 10.07

$2.51 MX$43.42

17.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 PEN 27.12

$8.34 MX$145

-4.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 PEN 19.31

$8.34 MX$145

-32.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PEN 36.01

$10.73 MX$186

-1.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.88

$2.60 MX$45.12

-22.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$1.46 MX$25.25

-26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.86

$1.90 MX$32.94

-40.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.26

$2.08 MX$35.98

-39.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.52

$1.78 MX$30.77

-42.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.25

$2.19 MX$37.87

-56.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.96

$1.04 MX$18.02

-16.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PEN 3.00

$1.08 MX$18.66

-18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 PEN 18.58

$4.08 MX$70.7

33.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.98 PEN 30.55

$10.32 MX$179

-12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PEN 5.96

$1.71 MX$29.67

2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 PEN 10.48

$2.58 MX$44.63

19.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 PEN 2.26

$0.51 MX$8.83

31.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.61 PEN 104

$26.46 MX$459

15.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 PEN 11.51

$3.26 MX$56.5

3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 PEN 7.53

$2.49 MX$43.17

-11.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 PEN 27.97

$3.25 MX$56.3

152.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.60

$1.31 MX$22.65

3.05%

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

$19.3K PEN 65.7K

$30.3K MX$524.7K

-36.21%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.7K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

3.77%

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

$56.7 PEN 193

$82.9 MX$1,436

-31.57%

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

$12.64 PEN 43.01

$22.22 MX$385

-43.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 PEN 81.7

$29.34 MX$508

-18.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.10 PEN 102

$51.6 MX$895

-41.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 PEN 64.5

$18.32 MX$317

3.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 PEN 22.92

$5.07 MX$87.8

32.94%

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

$218 PEN 740

$201 MX$3,480

8.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,895 PEN 26.9K

$5,212 MX$90.3K

51.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.95 PEN 170

$36.92 MX$640

35.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.59 PEN 125

$39.79 MX$689

-8.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 PEN 305

$78.5 MX$1,360

14.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 PEN 300

$87.1 MX$1,509

1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 PEN 2,063

$973 MX$16.9K

-37.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 PEN 1,190

$468 MX$8,105

-25.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 PEN 3,525

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-36.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 PEN 2,136

$1,221 MX$21.2K

-48.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,367 PEN 8,056

$3,946 MX$68.4K

-40.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,434 PEN 4,881

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-77.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 PEN 2,131

$664 MX$11.5K

-5.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

11.42

-11.47%

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

Last update for Lima: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $606 in Lima and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 6% 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: $33.00 in Lima vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $249 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 32% in total monthly costs ($985 vs $1,297 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 6% less. 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: $606 in Lima versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Lima versus $201 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 12% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $985 in Lima versus $1,297 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 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.