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: $999 in Lima versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,561 in Lima versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,124 in Lima versus $3,017 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 25% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 PEN 13.77

$11.99 MX$210

-66.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.99 PEN 115

$41.78 MX$733

-18.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 PEN 22.86

$10.75 MX$189

-37.30%

Cappuccino

$2.52 PEN 8.56

$3.50 MX$61.3

-28.00%

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

$0.94 PEN 3.18

$1.45 MX$25.41

-35.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.21

$0.88 MX$15.52

-26.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 PEN 7.35

$2.95 MX$51.7

-26.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 PEN 13.39

$4.51 MX$79.1

-12.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.78

$1.43 MX$25.12

-1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 PEN 9.22

$1.84 MX$32.23

47.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.64

$1.57 MX$27.51

-12.74%

Eggs

$2.94 PEN 9.98

$2.51 MX$44.06

17.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 PEN 26.87

$8.28 MX$145

-4.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 PEN 19.54

$8.43 MX$148

-31.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.71 PEN 36.32

$10.68 MX$187

0.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 PEN 6.72

$2.61 MX$45.76

-24.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.66

$1.44 MX$25.22

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.72

$1.96 MX$34.41

-43.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.05

$2.09 MX$36.74

-43.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 PEN 3.51

$1.85 MX$32.47

-43.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$2.17 MX$38.02

-53.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.94

$1.03 MX$18.09

-15.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 PEN 2.93

$1.07 MX$18.84

-19.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 PEN 18.96

$4.10 MX$72.0

36.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 PEN 30.51

$10.17 MX$178

-11.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 PEN 5.99

$1.68 MX$29.38

5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 PEN 10.42

$2.53 MX$44.31

21.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.29

$0.51 MX$8.93

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.68 PEN 107

$26.04 MX$457

21.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 PEN 11.43

$3.23 MX$56.7

4.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 PEN 7.54

$2.41 MX$42.19

-7.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 PEN 28.00

$3.23 MX$56.6

155.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.58

$1.32 MX$23.17

2.27%

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

$19.4K PEN 65.8K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-34.66%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.3K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

2.52%

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

$56.4 PEN 191

$82.0 MX$1,439

-31.18%

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

$12.57 PEN 42.63

$22.95 MX$403

-45.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.66 PEN 80.3

$30.11 MX$528

-21.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 PEN 105

$52.0 MX$912

-40.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 PEN 63.4

$18.53 MX$325

0.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 PEN 23.17

$4.98 MX$87.3

37.15%

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

$219 PEN 743

$197 MX$3,463

10.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,096 PEN 27.5K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

51.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.58 PEN 168

$35.60 MX$624

39.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 PEN 121

$40.33 MX$707

-11.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 PEN 303

$78.8 MX$1,381

13.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 PEN 302

$88.9 MX$1,560

-0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 PEN 2,115

$947 MX$16.6K

-34.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 PEN 1,167

$474 MX$8,314

-27.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 PEN 3,484

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-37.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 PEN 2,098

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-48.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,315 PEN 7,852

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-42.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,395 PEN 4,734

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-78.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 PEN 2,120

$654 MX$11.5K

-4.42%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Lima and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 5% 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: $34.00 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 26% in total monthly costs ($999 vs $1,256 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% 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: $623 in Lima versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $219 in Lima versus $197 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 $999 in Lima versus $1,256 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 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.