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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $528 in Battaramulla, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $871 in Battaramulla, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,213 in Battaramulla, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 141% more than Battaramulla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Battaramulla are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Battaramulla 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.93 LKR 1,310

202.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$738

$25.04 LKR 8,354

71.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.19 LKR 2,733

30.04%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.3

$2.64 LKR 881

30.68%

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

$1.50 MX$25.87

$0.68 LKR 226

120.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.32

$0.40 LKR 134

137.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.1

$2.39 LKR 799

26.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.3

$3.37 LKR 1,124

36.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.67

$1.78 LKR 595

-22.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.78

$0.53 LKR 176

249.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.71

$0.81 LKR 269

98.77%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.62

$2.11 LKR 705

22.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$14.25 LKR 4,753

-42.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.77 LKR 1,591

75.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.84 LKR 2,617

35.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.23

$7.55 LKR 2,519

-65.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.59

$1.06 LKR 353

40.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.02

$5.74 LKR 1,913

-66.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.89

$1.20 LKR 400

74.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.95

$1.16 LKR 388

60.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.90

$1.38 LKR 459

63.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.28

$1.19 LKR 397

-10.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.71

$0.55 LKR 185

98.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.4

$10.24 LKR 3,415

-59.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$179

$12.85 LKR 4,285

-19.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.66

$1.99 LKR 664

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.96

$2.92 LKR 975

-10.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$464

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.8

$0.39 LKR 130

702.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.19

$0.33 LKR 109

660.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.2

$0.61 LKR 204

416.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.94

$1.25 LKR 417

1.60%

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

$30.4K MX$522.6K

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

11.54%

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

$23.6K MX$405.4K

$34.7K LKR 11.6M

-31.99%

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

$83.0 MX$1,428

$60.7 LKR 20.2K

36.78%

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

$22.71 MX$391

$4.39 LKR 1,463

417.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$507

$14.86 LKR 4,957

98.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$877

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.7

$3.28 LKR 1,092

50.30%

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

$197 MX$3,395

$37.10 LKR 12.4K

431.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.8K

$437 LKR 145.9K

1107.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$635

$27.40 LKR 9,140

34.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$686

$19.01 LKR 6,342

109.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,377

$69.3 LKR 23.1K

15.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,539

$39.06 LKR 13.0K

129.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,208

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$111.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.45

-30.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Battaramulla: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Battaramulla. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $257 in Battaramulla – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Battaramulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 141% more than Battaramulla, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $792 in Battaramulla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $528 in Battaramulla. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $37.10 in Battaramulla. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Battaramulla, where all-in costs run around $528, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Battaramulla 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. Battaramulla costs $528 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Battaramulla. 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.