Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Beirut

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,657 in Beirut, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Beirut
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Beirut Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Beirut

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Beirut

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Beirut actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,657 in Beirut.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Beirut $1,657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,643 in Beirut.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Beirut $2,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,628 in Beirut.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Beirut $3,628

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 27% less than in Beirut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Beirut is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$12.13 LBP 1.1M

-9.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$68.2 LBP 6.1M

-36.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$9.86 LBP 882.6K

19.47%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$4.46 LBP 399.2K

-14.57%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$2.34 LBP 209.6K

-45.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.90 LBP 80.9K

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$5.10 LBP 456.3K

-37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$4.89 LBP 437.7K

0.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.02 LBP 180.5K

-30.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$0.91 LBP 81.4K

143.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$2.20 LBP 196.6K

-35.45%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$3.61 LBP 323.5K

-30.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$10.87 LBP 973.3K

-33.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$10.58 LBP 947.2K

-27.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$15.12 LBP 1.4M

-16.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.10 LBP 277.0K

-10.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.67 LBP 149.2K

-17.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$1.70 LBP 151.9K

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.54 LBP 137.9K

37.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.26 LBP 113.1K

53.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$1.53 LBP 137.3K

23.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.16 LBP 103.9K

-0.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.71 LBP 63.8K

66.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$2.96 LBP 265.2K

45.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$11.04 LBP 988.5K

-9.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.32 LBP 118.0K

19.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$2.60 LBP 233.0K

2.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.53 LBP 136.9K

-64.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$75.4 LBP 6.7M

-64.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$5.04 LBP 451.2K

-1.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$2.28 LBP 204.0K

46.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$22.53 LBP 2.0M

-76.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.04 LBP 93.2K

38.46%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$53.3K LBP 4.8B

-61.26%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$33.3K LBP 3.0B

-29.45%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$210 LBP 18.8M

-59.57%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$23.80 LBP 2.1M

-1.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$37.87 LBP 3.4M

-24.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$95.9 LBP 8.6M

-40.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$33.37 LBP 3.0M

-13.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$10.16 LBP 909.0K

-49.41%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$677 LBP 60.6M

-69.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$10.5K LBP 940.9M

-62.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$66.4 LBP 5.9M

-34.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$49.92 LBP 4.5M

-16.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$141 LBP 12.7M

-47.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$121 LBP 10.8M

-26.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$946 LBP 84.7M

3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$495 LBP 44.3M

-23.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$2,209 LBP 197.7M

-22.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$1,044 LBP 93.4M

2.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$4,473 LBP 400.3M

-11.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$1,892 LBP 169.3M

225.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$710 LBP 63.6M

3.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Beirut: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Beirut

$495 29.9% 30.1% $115

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Beirut

$277 16.7% 8.9% $23

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Beirut

$228 13.8% 12.9% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Beirut

$271 16.4% 98.3% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Beirut

$170 10.3% 52.4% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Beirut

$116 7% 72.7% $49

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Beirut

$98 5.9% 94.2% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $946 in Beirut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $68 in Beirut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $277 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇱🇧 Beirut

🕒 Local time

17:58 5:58 PM

00:58 12:58 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,916,100 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD

100,000 LBP = 1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,632 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Beirut 11,430 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Beirut

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

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

Playa del Carmen is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $946 in Beirut. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,657 in Beirut – Playa del Carmen is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 65% less than in Beirut. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,657 in Beirut, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Beirut. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.