Cost of Living Comparison Between Lomas de Zamora and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lomas de Zamora and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $946 in Lomas de Zamora versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,556 in Lomas de Zamora versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,165 in Lomas de Zamora versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lomas de Zamora costs roughly 26% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lomas de Zamora 30% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.18 ARS 13.1K

$11.87 MX$204

-22.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.04 ARS 42.9K

$42.90 MX$736

-29.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 ARS 12.9K

$10.65 MX$183

-14.93%

Cappuccino

$2.01 ARS 2,873

$3.45 MX$59.2

-41.74%

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

$1.98 ARS 2,827

$1.50 MX$25.81

32.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ARS 2,169

$0.95 MX$16.28

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 ARS 5,183

$3.03 MX$51.9

19.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 ARS 5,800

$4.61 MX$79.1

-11.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ARS 1,833

$1.38 MX$23.61

-7.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 ARS 2,815

$1.85 MX$31.70

6.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 ARS 2,911

$1.61 MX$27.65

26.71%

Eggs

$2.36 ARS 3,369

$2.59 MX$44.51

-8.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 ARS 17.1K

$8.26 MX$142

44.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 ARS 8,575

$8.37 MX$144

-28.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 ARS 13.6K

$10.66 MX$183

-10.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 ARS 3,525

$2.63 MX$45.12

-6.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,119

$1.49 MX$25.53

46.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ARS 1,792

$1.92 MX$32.94

-34.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 ARS 3,714

$2.09 MX$35.81

24.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,120

$1.86 MX$31.88

-20.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 ARS 2,037

$2.26 MX$38.81

-36.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ARS 1,409

$1.06 MX$18.23

-6.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ARS 2,580

$1.09 MX$18.67

66.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 ARS 4,562

$4.15 MX$71.2

-23.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 ARS 8,496

$10.39 MX$178

-42.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ARS 1,843

$1.72 MX$29.59

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ARS 4,334

$2.61 MX$44.85

16.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ARS 1,090

$0.54 MX$9.30

40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.16 ARS 43.1K

$26.94 MX$462

11.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,242

$3.13 MX$53.7

-49.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 ARS 1,329

$2.51 MX$43.09

-62.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 ARS 8,733

$3.15 MX$54.1

93.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ARS 1,643

$1.27 MX$21.88

-9.45%

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

$23.6K ARS 33.7M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-22.30%

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

$25.6K ARS 36.6M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

8.74%

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

$55.1 ARS 78.7K

$83.0 MX$1,425

-33.66%

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

$18.69 ARS 26.7K

$22.71 MX$390

-17.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.73 ARS 21.0K

$29.46 MX$506

-50.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.69 ARS 36.7K

$51.0 MX$875

-49.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.83 ARS 19.8K

$18.33 MX$315

-24.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.90 ARS 12.7K

$4.93 MX$84.5

80.53%

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

$299 ARS 426.6K

$197 MX$3,386

51.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,537 ARS 5.1M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-33.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 ARS 89.0K

$36.90 MX$633

68.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 ARS 85.1K

$39.89 MX$685

49.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 ARS 155.0K

$80.0 MX$1,373

35.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 ARS 137.4K

$89.5 MX$1,536

7.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 ARS 491.1K

$956 MX$16.4K

-64.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 ARS 333.7K

$477 MX$8,189

-51.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ARS 986.2K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-58.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 ARS 782.4K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-55.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,038 ARS 2.9M

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-47.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,770 ARS 2.5M

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-72.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ARS 1.0M

$667 MX$11.4K

5.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

11.42

361.56%

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

Last update for Lomas de Zamora: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $344 in Lomas de Zamora and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lomas de Zamora pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Lomas de Zamora vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $250 per month, with Lomas de Zamora 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

Lomas de Zamora vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lomas de Zamora and Playa del Carmen differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($946 vs $1,271 including rent). Lomas de Zamora is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lomas de Zamora pays 5% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $344 in Lomas de Zamora versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lomas de Zamora – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $946 per month in Lomas de Zamora versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $946 in Lomas de Zamora versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lomas de Zamora but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lomas de Zamora 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.

Safety-wise, Lomas de Zamora 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.

Expats usually find Lomas de Zamora gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.