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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $976 in Didim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,524 in Didim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,071 in Didim.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 30% more expensive than in Didim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Didim 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$8.27 ₺402

40.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$28.98 ₺1,410

62.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.75 ₺426

35.77%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.49 ₺170

14.04%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.20 ₺58.2

19.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.43 ₺20.87

90.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.36 ₺115

35.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.07 ₺198

66.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.99 ₺48.40

69.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.98 ₺47.49

124.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.23 ₺109

-23.32%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.11 ₺103

29.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.06 ₺441

5.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.93 ₺191

129.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$19.75 ₺961

-35.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.82 ₺88.7

58.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.93 ₺93.7

-22.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.06 ₺51.8

102.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.22 ₺59.5

85.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.50 ₺24.18

296.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.38 ₺18.27

423.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.88 ₺42.74

39.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.70 ₺33.89

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.05 ₺99.8

121.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$10.39 ₺506

-0.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$2.03 ₺98.8

-20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.94 ₺143

-2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.73 ₺35.41

-17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$34.69 ₺1,688

-16.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.30 ₺63.4

314.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.88 ₺42.69

323.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$5.17 ₺252

11.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.30 ₺63.1

18.46%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$37.1K ₺1.8M

-39.17%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$35.1K ₺1.7M

-25.74%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$66.4 ₺3,232

37.60%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$11.06 ₺538

127.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$12.53 ₺610

149.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$44.63 ₺2,172

50.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$6.09 ₺296

-20.20%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$539 ₺26.2K

-58.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$12.5K ₺609.5K

-66.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$48.68 ₺2,369

-3.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$30.83 ₺1,500

43.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$83.0 ₺4,039

-3.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$74.1 ₺3,604

25.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$393 ₺19.1K

170.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$288 ₺14.0K

35.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$744 ₺36.2K

188.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$573 ₺27.9K

122.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,382 ₺67.3K

189.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$900 ₺43.8K

622.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-72.07%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Didim: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $393 in Didim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in Didim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $225 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 30% 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 $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,464 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $393 in Didim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $539 in Didim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $976 in Didim versus $1,266 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 $976 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 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.