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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,048 in Didim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,607 in Didim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,166 in Didim.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 23% more expensive than Didim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Didim 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$7.65 ₺345

56.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$30.02 ₺1,355

42.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.54 ₺340

40.45%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.91 ₺131

24.40%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.25 ₺56.6

17.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.47 ₺21.24

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$3.42 ₺155

-9.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.93 ₺177

13.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.78 ₺35.05

83.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.26 ₺56.8

49.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.56 ₺115

-36.33%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.19 ₺53.6

121.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.25 ₺463

-19.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.18 ₺234

60.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$17.47 ₺788

-36.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$0.53 ₺23.75

400.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.00 ₺45.07

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.53 ₺23.92

275.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.77 ₺34.85

170.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.39 ₺17.68

358.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.40 ₺17.93

445.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.73 ₺32.81

47.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.78 ₺35.26

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.12 ₺95.6

87.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$10.13 ₺457

0.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.00 ₺90.4

-13.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.01 ₺91.0

24.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.50 ₺22.56

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$29.85 ₺1,348

-9.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.53 ₺114

24.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.91 ₺41.19

163.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$7.53 ₺340

-58.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.24 ₺55.8

2.42%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$44.0K ₺2.0M

-29.81%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$43.8K ₺2.0M

-46.75%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$62.0 ₺2,797

32.34%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$7.60 ₺343

195.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$7.59 ₺343

290.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$44.08 ₺1,990

17.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.61 ₺253

-11.41%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$606 ₺27.4K

-67.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$8,958 ₺404.4K

-41.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$15.43 ₺697

135.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$15.26 ₺689

162.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$102 ₺4,617

-21.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$129 ₺5,826

-31.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$514 ₺23.2K

87.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$387 ₺17.4K

20.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$225 ₺10.1K

610.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$716 ₺32.3K

68.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,343 ₺60.6K

193.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$952 ₺43.0K

577.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

36.83

-68.99%

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 Didim: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $514 in Didim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Didim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $208 per month, with Didim 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 Didim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Didim wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Didim the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,572 in Didim to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $514 in Didim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $606 in Didim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,048 in Didim versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Didim but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Didim the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Didim delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,048 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Didim hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Didim are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Didim gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.