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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,046 in Didim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,619 in Didim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,193 in Didim.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than Didim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Didim 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$7.73 ₺357

53.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$30.75 ₺1,422

39.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.59 ₺351

40.32%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.91 ₺135

18.56%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.29 ₺59.8

16.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.44 ₺20.15

115.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.43 ₺159

-11.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.91 ₺181

17.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.80 ₺36.85

72.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.29 ₺59.5

43.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.50 ₺116

-35.60%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.19 ₺54.9

117.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.02 ₺463

-17.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.02 ₺232

66.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$17.68 ₺818

-39.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.50 ₺23.04

426.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.03 ₺47.74

44.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.49 ₺22.65

291.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.79 ₺36.37

164.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.39 ₺18.08

376.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.40 ₺18.28

465.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.73 ₺33.91

45.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.79 ₺36.50

37.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.17 ₺100

91.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.63 ₺492

-2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.02 ₺93.2

-14.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.07 ₺95.6

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.49 ₺22.71

10.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$30.42 ₺1,407

-11.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.55 ₺118

22.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.94 ₺43.61

167.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$7.73 ₺358

-59.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.22 ₺56.6

4.10%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$43.9K ₺2.0M

-30.81%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$43.2K ₺2.0M

-45.42%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$61.8 ₺2,859

34.28%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$7.72 ₺357

194.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$7.76 ₺359

279.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$43.92 ₺2,032

16.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.76 ₺266

-14.41%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$604 ₺28.0K

-67.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,725 ₺403.6K

-39.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$15.16 ₺702

143.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$15.40 ₺712

159.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$103 ₺4,766

-22.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$128 ₺5,913

-30.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$518 ₺24.0K

84.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$394 ₺18.2K

21.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$225 ₺10.4K

631.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$713 ₺33.0K

71.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,416 ₺65.5K

176.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,037 ₺48.0K

522.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Didim: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $518 in Didim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Didim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 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 21% 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,569 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $518 in Didim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $604 in Didim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,046 in Didim versus $1,271 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 $1,046 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 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.