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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $523 in Kegalle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $861 in Kegalle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,199 in Kegalle.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 141% more expensive than in Kegalle, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kegalle 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.90 LKR 1,309

200.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$25.07 LKR 8,411

67.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.43 LKR 2,829

24.67%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.66 LKR 893

34.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.68 LKR 228

122.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.38 LKR 126

142.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.38 LKR 799

24.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.26 LKR 1,095

35.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.76 LKR 591

-20.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.57 LKR 190

229.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.85 LKR 286

83.53%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.19 LKR 735

19.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$13.93 LKR 4,674

-40.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.72 LKR 1,584

76.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.01 LKR 2,687

35.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$7.61 LKR 2,552

-64.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.08 LKR 361

39.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$5.94 LKR 1,992

-68.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.25 LKR 420

75.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.14 LKR 384

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.43 LKR 478

55.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.15 LKR 386

-6.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.59 LKR 199

84.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$9.92 LKR 3,327

-57.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$12.50 LKR 4,196

-16.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.10 LKR 704

-20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.89 LKR 970

-9.69%

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

$0.38 LKR 129

710.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.35 LKR 119

585.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$0.56 LKR 189

458.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.20 LKR 404

9.17%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

11.38%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$35.5K LKR 11.9M

-34.28%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$61.1 LKR 20.5K

33.01%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$4.45 LKR 1,492

406.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$15.25 LKR 5,116

97.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$3.30 LKR 1,109

49.09%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$36.88 LKR 12.4K

444.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$435 LKR 145.9K

1090.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$27.37 LKR 9,182

31.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$19.05 LKR 6,391

110.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$70.0 LKR 23.5K

13.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$39.21 LKR 13.2K

120.50%

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

16.45

-30.58%

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 Kegalle: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Kegalle. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $259, 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 Kegalle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kegalle wins on cost – living expenses run 141% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kegalle the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $785 in Kegalle 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 $36.88 in Kegalle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kegalle – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $523 in Kegalle versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kegalle but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kegalle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kegalle delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $523 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kegalle hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kegalle are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kegalle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.