Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisle, IL and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,667 in Lisle, IL, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisle, IL, United States
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Lisle, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,667
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisle, IL and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisle, IL and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,667 in Lisle, IL versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Lisle, IL $2,667
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,806 in Lisle, IL versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Lisle, IL $3,806
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,945 in Lisle, IL versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Lisle, IL $4,945
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Lisle, IL is roughly 122% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisle, IL is 97% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisle, IL
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.47 $21.47
$10.67 MX$199
101.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.8 $74.8
$43.80 MX$815
70.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.22 $10.22
$11.79 MX$219
-13.32%
Cappuccino
$5.77 $5.77
$3.79 MX$70.5
52.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 $2.99
$1.30 MX$24.14
130.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 $2.21
$0.83 MX$15.51
166.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.77 $5.77
$3.15 MX$58.6
83.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.26 $7.26
$4.93 MX$91.8
47.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisle, IL
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.41 MX$26.22
-26.95%
White Bread (500g)
$4.10 $4.10
$2.20 MX$40.86
86.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.66 $4.66
$1.47 MX$27.40
217.01%
Eggs
$4.22 $4.22
$2.50 MX$46.47
68.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.42 $13.42
$7.29 MX$136
84.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.84 $10.84
$7.95 MX$148
36.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.51 $16.51
$12.86 MX$239
28.38%
Apples (1kg)
$5.34 $5.34
$2.90 MX$53.9
84.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.38 MX$25.74
9.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.09 $4.09
$2.49 MX$46.36
64.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.31 $5.31
$2.03 MX$37.78
161.58%
Potato (1kg)
$2.84 $2.84
$2.02 MX$37.69
40.59%
Onion (1kg)
$3.04 $3.04
$1.90 MX$35.42
60.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.88 $1.88
$1.14 MX$21.30
64.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.24 MX$23.06
89.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.10 $11.10
$4.27 MX$79.5
159.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.07 $17.07
$9.81 MX$183
74.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 $1.91
$1.59 MX$29.51
20.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 $3.31
$2.75 MX$51.1
20.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisle, IL
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.23 $2.23
$0.51 MX$9.58
337.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.2 $60.2
$27.39 MX$510
119.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.62 $3.62
$4.76 MX$88.6
-23.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 $1.78
$3.25 MX$60.5
-45.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.58 $29.58
$5.39 MX$100
448.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 $1.21
$1.53 MX$28.44
-20.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K $24.2K
$21.2K MX$394.8K
14.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.6K $24.6K
$23.3K MX$432.9K
5.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisle, IL
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$224 $224
$83.5 MX$1,554
168.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$60.4 $60.4
$23.19 MX$431
160.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.2 $69.2
$27.61 MX$514
150.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisle, IL
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.59 $42.59
$56.4 MX$1,050
-24.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.19 MX$525
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.92 $12.92
$5.00 MX$93.1
158.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisle, IL
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,447 $1,447
$207 MX$3,854
598.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.8K $22.8K
$5,231 MX$97.4K
335.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisle, IL
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.83 $49.83
$43.45 MX$809
14.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.34 $36.34
$42.54 MX$792
-14.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.3 $91.3
$72.8 MX$1,354
25.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$126 $126
$88.4 MX$1,645
42.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisle, IL
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,565 $1,565
$995 MX$18.5K
57.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,281 $1,281
$382 MX$7,116
235.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,873 $2,873
$1,674 MX$31.2K
71.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,931 $1,931
$1,081 MX$20.1K
78.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,779 $2,779
$3,909 MX$72.7K
-28.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,358 $2,358
$6,138 MX$114.2K
-61.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisle, IL
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.59
11.45
-42.45%

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

Last update for Lisle, IL: October 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisle, IL
$1.3K
Playa del Carmen
$382 70.2% $899
Groceries & Markets
Lisle, IL
$410
Playa del Carmen
$257 37.2% $153
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisle, IL
$354
Playa del Carmen
$134 62% $219
Eating Out
Lisle, IL
$336
Playa del Carmen
$200 40.4% $135
Clothing & Footwear
Lisle, IL
$137
Playa del Carmen
$111 18.5% $25
Getting Around
Lisle, IL
$82
Playa del Carmen
$50 38.2% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Lisle, IL
$68
Playa del Carmen
$66 2.9% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,565 in Lisle, IL and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75 in Lisle, IL vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $257 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Lisle, IL
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
16:02 4:02 PM
17:02 5:02 PM
1 h ahead of Lisle, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
24,223
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisle, IL Playa del Carmen 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisle, IL
  • Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Lisle, IL vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisle, IL or Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Lisle, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lisle, IL and in Playa del Carmen?
You’d need roughly $4,001 in Lisle, IL and $1,804 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lisle, IL compared to Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,565 in Lisle, IL versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Lisle, IL or in Playa del Carmen?
Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Lisle, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Lisle, IL and in Playa del Carmen?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44 versus $75 in Lisle, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Lisle, IL or in Playa del Carmen?
At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,667 in Lisle, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lisle, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Lisle, IL or Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Lisle, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lisle, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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