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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,727 in Lizzano versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,630 in Lizzano versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,532 in Lizzano versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lizzano is roughly 37% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lizzano is 28% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Lizzano
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.40 โ‚ฌ14.81
$11.61 MX$201
49.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.2 โ‚ฌ61.4
$42.75 MX$742
68.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.57 โ‚ฌ10.70
$10.60 MX$184
18.58%
Cappuccino
$1.88 โ‚ฌ1.60
$3.59 MX$62.3
-47.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 โ‚ฌ1.83
$1.45 MX$25.21
48.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 โ‚ฌ1.15
$0.90 MX$15.58
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.75 โ‚ฌ4.04
$3.03 MX$52.6
56.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.71 โ‚ฌ4.01
$4.56 MX$79.2
3.29%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Lizzano
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.78 โ‚ฌ1.51
$1.45 MX$25.20
22.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.13 โ‚ฌ1.81
$1.83 MX$31.72
16.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.84 โ‚ฌ2.42
$1.61 MX$27.92
76.40%
Eggs
$3.91 โ‚ฌ3.33
$2.54 MX$44.05
53.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.46 โ‚ฌ12.30
$8.54 MX$148
69.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.21 โ‚ฌ10.39
$8.47 MX$147
44.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.00 โ‚ฌ15.32
$10.86 MX$189
65.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 โ‚ฌ2.00
$2.73 MX$47.37
-13.92%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 โ‚ฌ1.73
$1.49 MX$25.91
36.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.11 โ‚ฌ1.79
$1.94 MX$33.73
8.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.18 โ‚ฌ2.71
$2.16 MX$37.57
47.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.75 โ‚ฌ1.49
$1.85 MX$32.05
-5.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 โ‚ฌ1.51
$2.19 MX$38.00
-19.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 โ‚ฌ1.15
$1.07 MX$18.62
26.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 โ‚ฌ0.42
$1.08 MX$18.81
-54.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.89 โ‚ฌ5.86
$4.06 MX$70.5
69.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.66 โ‚ฌ6.52
$10.46 MX$182
-26.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 โ‚ฌ1.21
$1.65 MX$28.71
-13.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 โ‚ฌ1.71
$2.55 MX$44.23
-21.18%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Lizzano
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.70 โ‚ฌ1.45
$0.56 MX$9.65
203.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.97 โ‚ฌ37.42
$26.20 MX$455
67.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.90 โ‚ฌ5.02
$3.14 MX$54.5
87.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.03 โ‚ฌ1.73
$2.37 MX$41.17
-14.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.39 โ‚ฌ29.27
$3.24 MX$56.2
961.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.02 โ‚ฌ1.72
$1.31 MX$22.81
54.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.1K โ‚ฌ29.9K
$30.5K MX$530.2K
15.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K โ‚ฌ22.5K
$23.8K MX$413.6K
11.23%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lizzano
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 โ‚ฌ160
$83.1 MX$1,443
125.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.52 โ‚ฌ11.51
$22.15 MX$385
-38.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.57 โ‚ฌ25.16
$29.37 MX$510
0.68%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Lizzano
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.3 โ‚ฌ46.18
$51.2 MX$889
6.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.05 โ‚ฌ19.62
$18.69 MX$324
23.33%
Cinema Ticket
$8.73 โ‚ฌ7.43
$4.89 MX$84.9
78.53%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Lizzano
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 โ‚ฌ534
$199 MX$3,449
215.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,023 โ‚ฌ6,828
$5,207 MX$90.4K
54.08%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Lizzano
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 โ‚ฌ86.2
$35.93 MX$624
181.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.25 โ‚ฌ41.91
$39.39 MX$684
25.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 โ‚ฌ89.7
$80.3 MX$1,394
31.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$150 โ‚ฌ128
$87.6 MX$1,520
71.15%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Lizzano
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$751 โ‚ฌ639
$963 MX$16.7K
-22.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$588 โ‚ฌ500
$482 MX$8,370
21.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,212 โ‚ฌ1,031
$1,645 MX$28.6K
-26.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$941 โ‚ฌ800
$1,192 MX$20.7K
-21.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,975 โ‚ฌ2,532
$3,957 MX$68.7K
-24.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,826 โ‚ฌ1,554
$6,513 MX$113.1K
-71.96%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Lizzano
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$726 MX$12.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
11.42
-58.49%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lizzano: April 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $751 in Lizzano and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $72 in Lizzano vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $253 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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
Lizzano vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lizzano and Playa del Carmen?
Lizzano and Playa del Carmen differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,727 vs $1,262 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable โ€“ a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lizzano compared to Playa del Carmen?
You'd need roughly $2,591 in Lizzano and $1,894 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 do apartment prices compare in Lizzano and Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $751 in Lizzano versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Lizzano and Playa del Carmen?
A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 68% less than in Lizzano. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lizzano and Playa del Carmen?
Childcare runs $628 in Lizzano versus $199 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,727 in Lizzano, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lizzano. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lizzano and Playa del Carmen?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better โ€“ the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Lizzano or Playa del Carmen safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lizzano and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lizzano or Playa del Carmen?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet โ€“ expenses run 37% less than in Lizzano. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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