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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $812 in Diadema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,306 in Diadema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,799 in Diadema.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 57% more expensive than Diadema, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Diadema 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$7.11 R$36.02

66.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$39.65 R$201

8.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.41 R$37.49

43.72%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.87 R$9.46

84.49%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.25 R$6.32

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.85 R$4.32

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.83 R$9.27

65.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.91 R$14.73

58.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.02 R$5.16

35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.59 R$8.03

16.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.26 R$6.38

27.78%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.40 R$12.14

7.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.14 R$41.19

1.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.82 R$19.35

119.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.72 R$44.14

22.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.24 R$11.33

17.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.79 R$9.05

-16.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.46 R$7.38

31.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.52 R$7.69

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.26 R$6.35

47.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.14 R$5.78

98.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.78 R$3.95

35.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.64 R$3.26

70.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.50 R$12.64

66.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.44 R$42.74

23.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.36 R$6.88

26.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.28 R$11.56

14.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.93 R$4.71

-41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$37.85 R$192

-28.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.86 R$4.37

263.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.69 R$3.52

263.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.85 R$44.81

-64.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.00 R$5.07

27.00%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$22.0K R$111.2K

38.31%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.0K R$142.0K

-15.98%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$46.99 R$238

76.63%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$13.00 R$65.8

74.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$18.59 R$94.1

58.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.45 R$114

127.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$21.58 R$109

-15.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.47 R$27.67

-9.87%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$311 R$1,574

-36.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,815 R$34.5K

-22.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$52.2 R$264

-29.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$42.28 R$214

-5.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$79.4 R$402

0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$71.8 R$363

24.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$313 R$1,584

205.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$215 R$1,091

121.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$581 R$2,939

183.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$434 R$2,198

182.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,203 R$6,088

225.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$804 R$4,069

703.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$478 R$2,417

39.68%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Diadema: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $313 in Diadema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 40% 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 $250 vs $191 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 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 40% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $313 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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $812 in Diadema – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $812 in Diadema versus $1,271 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 57% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.