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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,104 in Lac, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,625 in Lac, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,146 in Lac, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% more than Lac, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Lac are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Lac 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$9.14 ALL 748

28.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$37.27 ALL 3,049

11.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.08 ALL 579

50.28%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.88 ALL 154

87.23%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.56 ALL 128

-3.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.80 ALL 65.7

21.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.40 ALL 196

22.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.26 ALL 267

36.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.96 ALL 160

-29.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.90 ALL 73.9

110.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.95 ALL 159

-15.90%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.91 ALL 238

-13.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.23 ALL 755

-9.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.67 ALL 628

8.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$13.38 ALL 1,095

-19.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.81 ALL 148

43.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$2.30 ALL 188

-36.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.37 ALL 112

38.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.35 ALL 110

54.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.04 ALL 85.1

71.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.20 ALL 98.2

82.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.11 ALL 90.5

-6.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.74 ALL 60.3

45.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.04 ALL 331

0.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$10.16 ALL 831

1.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.69 ALL 138

1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.21 ALL 99.3

113.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.45 ALL 36.95

13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$18.66 ALL 1,527

41.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.58 ALL 293

-8.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$3.05 ALL 249

-18.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$17.47 ALL 1,429

-81.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$2.21 ALL 181

-40.72%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$34.6K ALL 2.8M

-12.52%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$25.9K ALL 2.1M

-9.42%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$67.0 ALL 5,481

23.69%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$17.12 ALL 1,400

29.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$15.67 ALL 1,282

87.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$55.0 ALL 4,498

-6.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$24.97 ALL 2,043

-26.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$8.40 ALL 688

-39.64%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$95.2 ALL 7,792

110.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$46.30 ALL 3,788

-20.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$52.9 ALL 4,324

-24.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$92.4 ALL 7,558

-15.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$140 ALL 11.5K

-38.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$455 ALL 37.2K

113.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$344 ALL 28.1K

36.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$622 ALL 50.9K

163.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$434 ALL 35.5K

181.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,080 ALL 170.2K

89.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,203 ALL 98.4K

440.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

185.50%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lac: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $455 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Lac. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $239 – 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 17%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,656 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 $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $95.2 in Lac. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% 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 $1,104, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.