Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dilijan

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Dilijan: $1,210 and $1,268 a month, rent and utilities included.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Dilijan
🇦🇲 Armenia
$1,268
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Dilijan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Dilijan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,268 in Dilijan.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Dilijan $1,268

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,064 in Dilijan.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Dilijan $2,064

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,861 in Dilijan.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Dilijan $2,861

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 5% less than in Dilijan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Dilijan 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Dilijan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$199
$11.11 ֏4,018
-3.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$795
$41.88 ֏15.2K
2.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$218
$10.69 ֏3,867
10.29%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.4
$2.80 ֏1,011
38.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.29
$1.17 ֏424
17.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.44
$0.70 ֏253
20.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.3
$2.19 ֏792
41.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.6
$2.77 ֏1,004
83.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Dilijan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.55
$1.62 ֏586
-11.11%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.23
$0.97 ֏351
129.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$2.11 ֏763
-30.33%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.71
$2.85 ֏1,030
-11.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
$8.53 ֏3,088
-14.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$145
$7.71 ֏2,788
1.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$236
$13.66 ֏4,942
-6.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.6
$1.46 ֏529
98.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.53
$1.71 ֏618
-15.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.07
$1.97 ֏714
29.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.03
$2.54 ֏920
-18.90%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.97
$0.67 ֏241
198.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.07
$0.68 ֏247
195.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$22.02
$0.91 ֏328
30.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.23
$0.74 ֏269
70.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.4
$2.79 ֏1,010
57.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$177
$9.54 ֏3,452
0.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.41
$1.57 ֏568
1.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$2.05 ֏743
37.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Dilijan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.47
$0.29 ֏106
96.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$514
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$92.1
$1.34 ֏485
271.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.6
$0.59 ֏213
493.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$99.8
$13.03 ֏4,715
-58.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.08
$1.54 ֏559
-4.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.8K
$35.6K ֏12.9M
-40.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.8K
$33.5K ֏12.1M
-28.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Dilijan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,556
$123 ֏44.6K
-31.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$443
$8.08 ֏2,922
196.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$536
$22.01 ֏7,965
31.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Dilijan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,164
$96.0 ֏34.8K
-34.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$539
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.3
$2.73 ֏988
80.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Dilijan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,763
$163 ֏59.1K
24.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$72.8K
$10.3K ֏3.7M
-61.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Dilijan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$806
$107 ֏38.7K
-59.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$797
$57.6 ֏20.8K
-25.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,400
$139 ֏50.4K
-45.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,637
$162 ֏58.8K
-45.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Dilijan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.6K
$591 ֏214.0K
70.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,911
$383 ֏138.6K
-2.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.6K
$1,048 ֏379.3K
63.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.4K
$901 ֏326.2K
22.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$72.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$114.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Dilijan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$13.9K
$719 ֏260.1K
4.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
13.54
-15.44%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dilijan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Dilijan
$383 2.4% $9.1
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Dilijan
$236 8.7% $23
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Dilijan
$178 11.8% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Dilijan
$153 11.8% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Dilijan
$210 85.7% $97
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Dilijan
$102 39.3% $29
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Dilijan
$5.5 * 89.6% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $591 in Dilijan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 5% 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 $42.00 in Dilijan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $236 per month, with Dilijan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇦🇲 Dilijan
🕒 Local time
01:10 1:10 AM
10:10 10:10 AM
9 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
20,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AMD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Armenian Dram exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 362 AMD (1,000 AMD = 2.76 USD). 1 EUR = 407 AMD (1,000 AMD = 2.46 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Dilijan 11,580 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Dilijan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Playa del Carmen and in Dilijan?
Playa del Carmen and Dilijan differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,210 vs $1,268 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Playa del Carmen or Dilijan?
Average pay runs 5% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Dilijan?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $591 in Dilijan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Dilijan pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Dilijan?
All in, you'll spend $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,268 in Dilijan – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,268 in Dilijan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dilijan. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Dilijan?
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.
Is Playa del Carmen or Dilijan safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Playa del Carmen or Dilijan?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Dilijan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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