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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $724 in Diriamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,161 in Diriamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,597 in Diriamba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 78% more expensive than Diriamba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Diriamba 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$4.82 NIO 177

147.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$34.71 NIO 1,276

23.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.97 NIO 256

51.94%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.37 NIO 87.2

52.74%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.81 NIO 29.62

81.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.75 NIO 27.44

25.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.33 NIO 49.03

132.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.95 NIO 71.6

128.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.26 NIO 46.35

13.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.34 NIO 86.1

-19.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.85 NIO 68.1

-11.89%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.26 NIO 83.0

16.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$11.07 NIO 407

-25.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.47 NIO 238

28.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.13 NIO 299

36.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.82 NIO 140

-30.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.86 NIO 31.59

74.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.77 NIO 65.0

12.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.27 NIO 83.5

-8.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$3.82 NIO 140

-53.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.15 NIO 79.2

1.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.07 NIO 39.32

0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.01 NIO 37.05

2.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.71 NIO 99.6

46.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$14.85 NIO 546

-31.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.39 NIO 51.3

24.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.16 NIO 79.4

15.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.46 NIO 53.8

115.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.89 NIO 253

-55.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.34 NIO 49.29

-5.22%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$22.9K NIO 841.0K

34.98%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$26.7K NIO 982.9K

-12.80%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$100 NIO 3,693

-18.36%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$16.89 NIO 621

32.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$37.25 NIO 1,369

-20.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$8.06 NIO 296

-38.34%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$122 NIO 4,500

61.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$5,889 NIO 216.5K

-10.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$78.7 NIO 2,892

-53.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$73.0 NIO 2,683

-45.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$131 NIO 4,830

-39.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$106 NIO 3,900

-16.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Diriamba: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Diriamba. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $258, 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 78% 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 $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,087 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 $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $122 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 $35.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $724 in Diriamba versus $1,287 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 $724 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 78% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.