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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,140 in Lac, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,717 in Lac, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,295 in Lac, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 15% more than Lac, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Lac are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Lac 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$9.86 ALL 779

21.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$39.57 ALL 3,125

19.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.35 ALL 581

59.86%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.07 ALL 163

99.03%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.91 ALL 151

-26.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.67 ALL 52.7

35.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.55 ALL 201

25.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.47 ALL 274

103.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.07 ALL 163

-18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.95 ALL 75.2

126.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.06 ALL 163

-14.08%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.71 ALL 214

4.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.12 ALL 800

-9.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$8.92 ALL 704

3.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$14.72 ALL 1,162

-14.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.84 ALL 145

60.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.36 ALL 187

-33.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.48 ALL 117

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.64 ALL 129

43.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.07 ALL 84.9

85.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.30 ALL 103

52.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.16 ALL 91.2

6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.78 ALL 61.7

55.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.48 ALL 354

2.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$9.93 ALL 784

5.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.76 ALL 139

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.23 ALL 97.4

125.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.48 ALL 37.70

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$20.09 ALL 1,586

47.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$3.79 ALL 299

38.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.95 ALL 312

-7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$18.54 ALL 1,465

-68.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$2.23 ALL 176

-30.94%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$35.1K ALL 2.8M

-34.96%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$25.3K ALL 2.0M

1.84%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$62.5 ALL 4,936

45.10%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$16.94 ALL 1,338

48.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$17.63 ALL 1,392

80.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$57.9 ALL 4,571

18.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$8.96 ALL 707

-45.76%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$102 ALL 8,025

122.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$50.3 ALL 3,973

-5.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$57.3 ALL 4,523

-24.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$99.7 ALL 7,875

-19.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$149 ALL 11.8K

-38.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$499 ALL 39.4K

117.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$335 ALL 26.4K

22.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$726 ALL 57.4K

171.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$471 ALL 37.2K

171.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,856 ALL 146.6K

117.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,259 ALL 99.4K

432.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lac: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $499 in Lac. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $40.00 in Lac. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $257 – making Lac 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 Lac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 15%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,710 in Lac. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $102 in Lac. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Lac, where all-in costs run around $1,140, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Lac it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lac – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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