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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $705 in Diriamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,135 in Diriamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,564 in Diriamba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 83% more expensive than Diriamba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Diriamba 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$4.85 NIO 178

141.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$35.68 NIO 1,307

17.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$7.03 NIO 257

48.08%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.37 NIO 87.0

52.32%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.80 NIO 29.41

82.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.75 NIO 27.35

29.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.34 NIO 49.10

117.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.05 NIO 75.2

125.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.22 NIO 44.66

17.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$2.43 NIO 89.1

-21.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.87 NIO 68.6

-16.04%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.28 NIO 83.4

15.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$11.13 NIO 408

-24.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$6.80 NIO 249

26.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$7.95 NIO 291

38.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$3.82 NIO 140

-29.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$0.83 NIO 30.54

81.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.83 NIO 67.0

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$2.18 NIO 79.8

-0.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$3.85 NIO 141

-51.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$2.18 NIO 80.0

2.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.06 NIO 38.70

1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.05 NIO 38.63

1.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$2.69 NIO 98.6

54.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$14.53 NIO 532

-29.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.45 NIO 53.0

15.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.15 NIO 78.9

17.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$1.47 NIO 53.7

117.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$6.65 NIO 244

-51.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.31 NIO 48.13

0.76%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$22.6K NIO 829.2K

33.17%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$26.7K NIO 977.4K

-12.33%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$98.1 NIO 3,593

-17.08%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$16.81 NIO 616

33.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$38.02 NIO 1,392

-21.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$8.02 NIO 294

-35.66%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$123 NIO 4,500

64.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$5,899 NIO 216.0K

-9.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$77.5 NIO 2,840

-54.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$73.8 NIO 2,704

-45.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$132 NIO 4,823

-40.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$110 NIO 4,039

-21.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.25

11.41%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Diriamba: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Diriamba. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $260, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Diriamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diriamba wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Diriamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,941 in Playa del Carmen and $1,058 in Diriamba 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.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $123 in Diriamba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Diriamba – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $705 in Diriamba versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Diriamba but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Diriamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Diriamba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $705 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Diriamba hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Diriamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.