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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $767 in Diriamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,249 in Diriamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,731 in Diriamba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 65% more expensive than in Diriamba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Diriamba 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$10.03 NIO 367

15.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$37.32 NIO 1,367

26.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.75 NIO 284

53.29%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.55 NIO 93.2

56.08%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.89 NIO 32.61

60.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.73 NIO 26.86

12.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.41 NIO 51.6

126.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.05 NIO 75.1

231.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.23 NIO 45.01

36.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.34 NIO 85.8

-5.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.78 NIO 65.2

-3.93%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.34 NIO 85.7

17.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.46 NIO 420

-16.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.57 NIO 241

37.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.30 NIO 267

75.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.62 NIO 133

-20.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.62 NIO 22.55

141.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.77 NIO 64.7

21.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.19 NIO 80.0

3.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$3.90 NIO 143

-49.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.23 NIO 81.8

-10.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.04 NIO 38.23

18.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.06 NIO 38.90

13.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.63 NIO 96.3

73.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$14.84 NIO 544

-30.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.47 NIO 53.7

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.26 NIO 82.8

27.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.67 NIO 61.2

222.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.59 NIO 58.4

134.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$7.00 NIO 256

-17.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.30 NIO 47.64

18.46%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$22.9K NIO 838.7K

-1.54%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$26.6K NIO 975.4K

-2.16%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$120 NIO 4,388

-23.74%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$17.18 NIO 629

46.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$37.46 NIO 1,372

-16.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$8.41 NIO 308

-42.21%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$238 NIO 8,731

-6.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$6,064 NIO 222.1K

-30.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$70.4 NIO 2,579

-33.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$72.0 NIO 2,637

-38.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$130 NIO 4,772

-38.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$108 NIO 3,953

-14.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.25

11.71%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Diriamba: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Diriamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $256 per month, with Diriamba 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 Diriamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diriamba wins on cost – living expenses run 65% 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 $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,151 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 $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $238 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 $37.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $767 in Diriamba versus $1,266 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 $767 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 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.