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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $498 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $830 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,162 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 160% more than Anuradhapura, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Anuradhapura are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Anuradhapura 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$4.45 LKR 1,460

163.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$24.30 LKR 7,973

91.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$7.71 LKR 2,530

51.10%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$2.41 LKR 790

69.71%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$0.75 LKR 244

82.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$0.25 LKR 81.1

232.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$2.28 LKR 748

46.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.97 LKR 975

132.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.68 LKR 551

2.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$0.57 LKR 188

296.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$0.80 LKR 263

121.25%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$1.63 LKR 535

67.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$13.09 LKR 4,295

-29.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.98 LKR 1,634

79.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$7.29 LKR 2,391

72.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$6.93 LKR 2,272

-56.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$0.88 LKR 287

78.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$4.26 LKR 1,396

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$1.25 LKR 410

80.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$1.01 LKR 331

98.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$0.80 LKR 263

157.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$0.90 LKR 294

31.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$0.45 LKR 147

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$10.54 LKR 3,458

-56.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$13.82 LKR 4,534

-22.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$1.92 LKR 629

-15.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$2.77 LKR 909

3.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$0.42 LKR 137

1197.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$0.35 LKR 114

957.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$0.89 LKR 293

571.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.34 LKR 439

15.67%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$30.5K LKR 10.0M

-26.71%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$42.7K LKR 14.0M

-39.20%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$53.2 LKR 17.4K

67.70%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$4.28 LKR 1,405

485.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$20.72 LKR 6,796

52.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$4.49 LKR 1,473

12.47%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$38.75 LKR 12.7K

480.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$1,201 LKR 394.1K

251.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$20.20 LKR 6,627

134.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$16.92 LKR 5,553

165.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$79.5 LKR 26.1K

3.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$43.16 LKR 14.2K

113.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

12.69

-9.77%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Anuradhapura: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Anuradhapura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $238 – making Anuradhapura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, $498 in Anuradhapura – roughly 160% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $747 in Anuradhapura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $24.00 in Anuradhapura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Anuradhapura, where all-in costs run around $498, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Anuradhapura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $498 in Anuradhapura to $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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