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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,009 in Byblos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,609 in Byblos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,209 in Byblos.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 28% more expensive than Byblos, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Byblos 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$8.09 LBP 724.1K

44.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$42.13 LBP 3.8M

-0.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$8.13 LBP 728.0K

28.04%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$3.06 LBP 273.6K

17.97%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.97 LBP 87.1K

50.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$1.01 LBP 90.6K

-3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.21 LBP 108.5K

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.65 LBP 58.6K

192.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.61 LBP 143.7K

-2.48%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.12 LBP 190.2K

24.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$8.90 LBP 796.5K

-5.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$8.08 LBP 723.3K

6.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$12.04 LBP 1.1M

-8.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$3.06 LBP 274.3K

-11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.97 LBP 176.0K

-23.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$0.97 LBP 86.9K

96.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.97 LBP 175.9K

10.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$0.99 LBP 88.5K

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$0.97 LBP 86.9K

129.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.03 LBP 92.2K

4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.02 LBP 91.6K

4.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$3.96 LBP 354.2K

159.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.48 LBP 132.6K

13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$1.98 LBP 177.0K

27.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.98 LBP 87.6K

-43.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$0.91 LBP 81.1K

45.05%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$22.6K LBP 2.0B

33.36%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$22.1K LBP 2.0B

5.64%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$101 LBP 9.1M

-19.65%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$22.86 LBP 2.0M

-1.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$25.15 LBP 2.3M

19.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$37.76 LBP 3.4M

36.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$18.40 LBP 1.6M

-0.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$10.09 LBP 902.9K

-48.86%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$405 LBP 36.3M

-50.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$3,042 LBP 272.2M

74.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$99.8 LBP 8.9M

-64.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$101 LBP 9.0M

-59.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$118 LBP 10.5M

-33.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$153 LBP 13.7M

-43.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$301 LBP 26.9M

215.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$223 LBP 20.0M

114.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$784 LBP 70.2M

106.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$393 LBP 35.2M

211.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$1,324 LBP 118.5M

202.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$845 LBP 75.6M

666.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$986 LBP 88.2M

-31.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

42.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Byblos: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $301 in Byblos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Byblos pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $42.00 in Byblos. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $218, with Byblos cheaper for home cooking.

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 Byblos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Byblos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Byblos earns 46% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $301 in Byblos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $405 in Byblos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Byblos – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,009 in Byblos versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Byblos but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Byblos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Byblos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Byblos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.