Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Derna

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $173 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Derna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $173 in Derna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Derna $173

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $335 in Derna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Derna $335

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $497 in Derna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Derna $497

Playa del Carmen costs about 597% more than Derna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Derna are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Derna 87% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$3.79 LYD 24.33

188.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$7.79 LYD 49.95

456.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$3.14 LYD 20.12

275.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.46 LYD 2.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 LYD 3.80

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$0.49 LYD 3.13

677.55%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.32 LYD 2.08

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$0.73 LYD 4.66

93.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$2.38 LYD 15.29

-40.34%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$0.90 LYD 5.76

180.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$3.18 LYD 20.41

142.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$0.80 LYD 5.13

71.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$0.91 LYD 5.87

180.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.74 LYD 4.75

571.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

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

$23.41 MX$440

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$13.96 LYD 89.6

105.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

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

$207 MX$3,882

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$31.77 LYD 204

36.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$38.45 LYD 247

7.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$38.87 LYD 249

90.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$38.67 LYD 248

130.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$156 LYD 1,000

996.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$91.9 LYD 590

1069.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$195 LYD 1,250

1923.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$76.7 LYD 492

7928.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$168 LYD 1,078

336.97%

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 Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Derna: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Derna

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Derna

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Derna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Derna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Derna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Derna

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Derna

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 4.4 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $8 in Derna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $45 – making Derna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇱🇾 Derna

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

07:35 7:35 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

50,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.14 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.16 LYD (1 LYD = 0.14 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Derna 10,480 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Derna

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 Derna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 597% more than Derna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $259 in Derna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $173 in Derna. That makes Derna about 86% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 469% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Derna, where all-in costs run around $173, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Derna 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 $173 in Derna to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Derna. 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.