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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,196 in Dilijan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,967 in Dilijan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,739 in Dilijan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 6% more expensive than Dilijan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Dilijan 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.26 ֏3,773

15.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$39.85 ֏14.7K

7.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.94 ֏2,921

34.13%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.64 ֏971

30.68%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.04 ֏382

44.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.49 ֏182

93.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.80 ֏661

68.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.59 ֏951

77.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.65 ֏605

-16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.89 ֏327

107.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.37 ֏872

-32.07%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.34 ֏860

10.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.58 ֏3,154

-3.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.47 ֏2,746

12.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.30 ֏4,522

-13.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.27 ֏467

107.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.52 ֏560

-1.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.74 ֏639

10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.30 ֏846

-9.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.75 ֏277

148.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.71 ֏263

218.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.89 ֏327

19.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.66 ֏242

65.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.55 ֏938

62.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.97 ֏4,032

-5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.27 ֏469

35.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.17 ֏798

20.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.25 ֏91.9

116.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.56 ֏573

100.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.29 ֏105

765.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.85 ֏1,784

-35.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.36 ֏500

-6.62%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$31.3K ֏11.5M

-3.00%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$37.8K ֏13.9M

-37.62%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$116 ֏42.8K

-28.63%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$7.58 ֏2,785

199.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$20.24 ֏7,441

45.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$90.3 ֏33.2K

-43.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$2.56 ֏939

92.58%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$158 ֏58.0K

25.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,539 ֏2.8M

-29.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$108 ֏39.8K

-65.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$60.2 ֏22.1K

-33.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$143 ֏52.7K

-44.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$137 ֏50.4K

-34.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$546 ֏200.8K

75.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$366 ֏134.5K

30.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$987 ֏362.9K

66.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$856 ֏314.8K

43.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$679 ֏249.7K

-1.80%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Dilijan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $546 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $40.00 in Dilijan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $226 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 6% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,196 including rent). Dilijan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Dilijan earns 2% less. 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $546 in Dilijan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,196 in Dilijan – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,196 in Dilijan versus $1,271 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 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.