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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,199 in Dilijan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,929 in Dilijan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,660 in Dilijan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than in Dilijan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Dilijan 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$10.45 ֏3,822

12.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$39.12 ֏14.3K

7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$7.65 ֏2,797

37.39%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.56 ֏937

40.23%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.98 ֏358

54.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.49 ֏179

87.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$1.88 ֏686

57.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.68 ֏980

64.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.64 ֏599

-14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$0.90 ֏330

108.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$2.41 ֏881

-35.27%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.44 ֏893

6.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$8.60 ֏3,145

-3.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$7.27 ֏2,657

14.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$12.12 ֏4,434

-10.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.26 ֏462

115.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.60 ֏584

-5.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.70 ֏622

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$2.23 ֏817

-1.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$0.76 ֏277

144.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$0.71 ֏260

214.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.88 ֏322

21.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.65 ֏238

67.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$2.59 ֏946

61.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$10.93 ֏3,998

-4.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.34 ֏490

23.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.17 ֏792

20.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.27 ֏99.6

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$1.61 ֏590

91.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.31 ֏114

674.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$4.60 ֏1,684

-31.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.36 ֏499

-3.68%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$31.9K ֏11.7M

-6.59%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$37.1K ֏13.6M

-37.08%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$118 ֏43.2K

-31.22%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$7.55 ֏2,761

198.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$20.88 ֏7,636

43.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$92.1 ֏33.7K

-42.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$2.68 ֏979

83.58%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$156 ֏57.1K

28.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$7,579 ֏2.8M

-31.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$108 ֏39.6K

-66.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$60.9 ֏22.3K

-34.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$143 ֏52.2K

-44.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$140 ֏51.1K

-38.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$547 ֏200.2K

78.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$363 ֏132.9K

29.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$964 ֏352.6K

71.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$865 ֏316.3K

39.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$693 ֏253.3K

-2.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

15.53

-26.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Dilijan: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $547 in Dilijan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dilijan pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Dilijan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $225 per month, with Dilijan 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 Dilijan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Dilijan differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $1,199 including rent). Dilijan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Dilijan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $547 in Dilijan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,199 in Dilijan – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,199 in Dilijan versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dilijan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Dilijan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Dilijan 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 Dilijan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.