Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maharagama and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Maharagama: $131 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Maharagama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$131

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maharagama 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 Maharagama and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $131 per month in Maharagama vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Maharagama $131
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $246 per month in Maharagama vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Maharagama $246
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $361 per month in Maharagama vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Maharagama $361
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Maharagama is about 89% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Maharagama and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Maharagama 90% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.30 LKR 1,761

$10.67 MX$199

-50.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.24 LKR 6,733

$43.80 MX$815

-53.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 LKR 2,220

$11.79 MX$219

-43.43%

Cappuccino

$2.11 LKR 702

$3.79 MX$70.5

-44.33%

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

$0.64 LKR 213

$1.30 MX$24.14

-50.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 LKR 95.3

$0.83 MX$15.51

-65.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 LKR 288

$1.41 MX$26.22

-38.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.23 LKR 76.1

$2.20 MX$40.86

-89.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.50 LKR 167

$1.47 MX$27.40

-65.99%

Eggs

$1.42 LKR 474

$2.50 MX$46.46

-43.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 LKR 146

$4.76 MX$88.6

-90.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 LKR 154

$3.25 MX$60.5

-85.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

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

$4.55 LKR 1,514

$23.19 MX$431

-80.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.38 LKR 4,450

$27.61 MX$514

-51.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

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

$207 MX$3,854

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 LKR 65.9K

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-88.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$240 LKR 79.7K

$832 MX$15.5K

-71.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Maharagama: 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

Maharagama

–

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Groceries & Markets

Maharagama

–

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Eating Out

Maharagama

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maharagama

–

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Maharagama

–

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Maharagama

–

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Getting Around

Maharagama

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 3.5 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Maharagama versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $19 vs $257 – making Maharagama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Maharagama

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

21:51 9:51 PM

10 h 30 min behind Maharagama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

196,400

149,923

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maharagama Playa del Carmen 16,650 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Maharagama
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 820%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $196 per month in Maharagama and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 1281% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Maharagama and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Maharagama, where all-in costs run around $131, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Maharagama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maharagama costs $131 versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Maharagama. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.