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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $810 in Diadema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,317 in Diadema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,823 in Diadema.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 59% more expensive than Diadema, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Diadema 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$7.09 R$35.38

68.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$39.87 R$199

7.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.02 R$35.04

50.85%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.87 R$9.34

93.58%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.21 R$6.01

21.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.90 R$4.50

4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.76 R$8.78

75.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.92 R$14.55

52.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.02 R$5.09

40.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.58 R$7.89

18.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.31 R$6.55

24.43%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.35 R$11.74

12.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.97 R$39.79

3.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.89 R$19.42

113.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.57 R$42.79

29.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.20 R$10.97

20.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.75 R$8.75

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.45 R$7.25

37.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.60 R$8.00

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.25 R$6.24

43.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.08 R$5.41

101.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.76 R$3.79

42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.65 R$3.25

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.49 R$12.41

59.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$9.43 R$47.04

8.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.36 R$6.80

27.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.40 R$11.96

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.94 R$4.68

-44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$38.96 R$194

-30.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.86 R$4.32

265.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.71 R$3.55

238.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.76 R$43.74

-64.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.01 R$5.06

25.74%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$22.0K R$109.6K

40.59%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$28.9K R$144.4K

-19.44%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$46.77 R$233

75.35%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$13.05 R$65.1

72.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$19.01 R$94.9

56.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$22.35 R$112

132.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$21.23 R$106

-12.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.49 R$27.40

-9.47%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$318 R$1,588

-37.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$6,901 R$34.4K

-23.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$51.0 R$255

-28.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$41.58 R$207

-3.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$77.4 R$386

3.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$73.0 R$364

21.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$317 R$1,583

203.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$214 R$1,070

116.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$585 R$2,918

172.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$429 R$2,143

181.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,226 R$6,118

221.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$820 R$4,094

685.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$506 R$2,525

42.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Diadema: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $317 in Diadema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 42% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $40.00 in Diadema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $192 per month, with Diadema cheaper across the board.

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 Diadema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diadema is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 42% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $317 in Diadema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Diadema – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $810 in Diadema – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $810 in Diadema versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Diadema but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Diadema the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Diadema 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 Diadema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.