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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $924 in Limbe versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,560 in Limbe versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,197 in Limbe versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Limbe costs roughly 27% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Limbe 32% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.38 FCFA 2,500

$11.60 MX$200

-62.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 FCFA 71.2K

$47.11 MX$811

164.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 FCFA 4,103

$11.88 MX$205

-39.48%

Cappuccino

$1.11 FCFA 635

$3.98 MX$68.5

-72.11%

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

$1.56 FCFA 889

$1.43 MX$24.57

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 FCFA 466

$0.82 MX$14.20

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 FCFA 723

$3.19 MX$54.9

-60.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 FCFA 1,491

$6.79 MX$117

-61.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.66 FCFA 1,519

$1.68 MX$28.85

58.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 FCFA 255

$2.20 MX$37.83

-79.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 FCFA 952

$1.71 MX$29.41

-2.34%

Eggs

$1.99 FCFA 1,138

$2.74 MX$47.20

-27.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 FCFA 5,473

$9.58 MX$165

0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 FCFA 2,746

$9.01 MX$155

-46.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 FCFA 3,783

$12.81 MX$221

-48.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 FCFA 1,124

$2.89 MX$49.74

-31.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 FCFA 652

$1.50 MX$25.78

-24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 FCFA 1,130

$2.15 MX$36.98

-7.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 FCFA 812

$2.26 MX$38.91

-37.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 FCFA 1,137

$1.98 MX$34.10

0.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 FCFA 1,273

$1.99 MX$34.26

12.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 FCFA 441

$1.23 MX$21.25

-37.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 FCFA 358

$1.20 MX$20.60

-47.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 FCFA 1,480

$4.55 MX$78.3

-43.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 FCFA 4,984

$10.37 MX$179

-15.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 FCFA 860

$1.62 MX$27.88

-6.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 FCFA 1,068

$2.88 MX$49.60

-35.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 FCFA 483

$0.60 MX$10.34

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.65 FCFA 15.2K

$28.80 MX$496

-7.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 FCFA 313

$5.39 MX$92.8

-89.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 FCFA 132

$3.73 MX$64.2

-93.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 FCFA 996

$5.77 MX$99.3

-69.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 FCFA 650

$1.54 MX$26.45

-25.97%

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

$30.6K FCFA 17.4M

$22.5K MX$388.3K

35.60%

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

$16.1K FCFA 9.2M

$26.1K MX$448.7K

-38.31%

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

$89.7 FCFA 51.2K

$91.4 MX$1,573

-1.87%

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

$26.16 FCFA 14.9K

$25.20 MX$434

3.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.2 FCFA 48.0K

$31.24 MX$538

169.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.06 FCFA 25.1K

$67.2 MX$1,157

-34.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.47 FCFA 2,554

$4.86 MX$83.7

-8.02%

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

$348 FCFA 198.6K

$224 MX$3,851

55.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,747 FCFA 996.8K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

-58.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 FCFA 47.4K

$47.10 MX$811

76.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.0 FCFA 38.8K

$44.29 MX$763

53.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 FCFA 82.7K

$80.1 MX$1,379

80.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 FCFA 87.7K

$92.7 MX$1,596

65.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 FCFA 78.8K

$390 MX$6,719

-64.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 FCFA 79.9K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-88.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.04

11.45

66.29%

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

Last update for Limbe: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $125 in Limbe vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $200 vs $276, with Limbe cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Limbe and Playa del Carmen differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($924 vs $1,266 including rent). Limbe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,386 in Limbe and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Limbe – a meal for two runs $125 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $924 in Limbe versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Limbe but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Limbe 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 Limbe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.