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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $705 in Diriamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,131 in Diriamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,558 in Diriamba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 79% more expensive than in Diriamba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Diriamba 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.86 NIO 178

141.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$34.60 NIO 1,267

21.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.16 NIO 262

46.79%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.38 NIO 87.3

50.84%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.83 NIO 30.44

81.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.69 NIO 25.20

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.27 NIO 46.55

133.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.98 NIO 72.6

122.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.22 NIO 44.74

14.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.39 NIO 87.5

-21.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.88 NIO 69.0

-17.02%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.27 NIO 83.1

14.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$11.40 NIO 417

-27.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.45 NIO 236

29.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.09 NIO 296

34.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.95 NIO 145

-31.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.84 NIO 30.82

79.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.84 NIO 67.4

1.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.20 NIO 80.7

-0.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$3.83 NIO 140

-51.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.27 NIO 83.3

-1.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.03 NIO 37.60

3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.01 NIO 36.83

7.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.63 NIO 96.5

59.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$14.63 NIO 536

-28.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.39 NIO 50.9

19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.29 NIO 83.7

13.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.47 NIO 53.9

109.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.70 NIO 245

-53.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.35 NIO 49.58

-2.96%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$23.3K NIO 852.9K

28.00%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$25.9K NIO 946.9K

-9.80%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$97.0 NIO 3,553

-16.21%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$17.03 NIO 624

32.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$36.91 NIO 1,352

-18.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$7.86 NIO 288

-37.40%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$126 NIO 4,608

59.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,003 NIO 219.9K

-13.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$76.0 NIO 2,785

-52.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$71.5 NIO 2,618

-43.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$134 NIO 4,890

-40.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$107 NIO 3,914

-19.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Diriamba: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Diriamba. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 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 79% 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 $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,057 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $126 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 $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 $1,260 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 79% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.