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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,931 in Freetown, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,686 in Freetown, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,441 in Freetown, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 33% cheaper than Freetown, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Playa del Carmen sits 4% below the global median, while Freetown is 44% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$2.97 SLL 73.5K

302.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$31.92 SLL 790.3K

33.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$9.86 SLL 244.2K

7.40%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.75 SLL 43.4K

106.86%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.00 SLL 24.8K

47.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.91 SLL 22.5K

3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.54 SLL 38.1K

100.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.78 SLL 68.7K

60.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$2.47 SLL 61.1K

-42.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.68 SLL 16.9K

176.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.36 SLL 33.6K

19.85%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.97 SLL 48.7K

34.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$7.04 SLL 174.3K

16.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$7.58 SLL 187.6K

9.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$5.13 SLL 126.9K

116.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$4.11 SLL 101.7K

-35.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$2.02 SLL 50.0K

-25.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$0.74 SLL 18.2K

168.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$4.99 SLL 123.4K

-58.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$2.02 SLL 50.1K

-11.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.66 SLL 41.1K

31.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.01 SLL 25.0K

6.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.42 SLL 35.1K

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$2.96 SLL 73.2K

34.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.72 SLL 191.2K

32.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.12 SLL 27.8K

54.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.00 SLL 49.5K

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.44 SLL 11.0K

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.73 SLL 18.2K

330.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.24 SLL 30.6K

93.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$5.06 SLL 125.2K

-38.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.32 SLL 32.7K

-3.79%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$11.9K SLL 293.6M

160.44%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$24.7K SLL 611.7M

-5.63%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$143 SLL 3.5M

-42.58%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$10.13 SLL 250.8K

121.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$99.4 SLL 2.5M

-70.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$50.7 SLL 1.3M

2.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

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

$198 MX$3,442

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$9.96 SLL 246.7K

264.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$8.03 SLL 198.9K

398.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$20.25 SLL 501.4K

294.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$50.2 SLL 1.2M

77.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$807 SLL 20.0M

19.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$1,246 SLL 30.9M

-62.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$2,143 SLL 53.1M

-25.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$98.6 SLL 2.4M

1126.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$3,044 SLL 75.4M

29.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,740 SLL 43.1M

270.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$1,123 SLL 27.8M

-35.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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 Freetown: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $807 in Freetown. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 56% higher in Freetown, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Freetown. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $235 – making Freetown the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Freetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $1,931 in Freetown – roughly 50% apart. Freetown costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,896 in Freetown. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $32.00 in Freetown. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,931 in Freetown. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,287, than in Freetown at $1,931. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Freetown it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,287 in Playa del Carmen to $1,931 in Freetown. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Freetown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.