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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,087 in Lac, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,615 in Lac, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,144 in Lac, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 16% more than Lac, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Lac are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Lac 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$9.47 ALL 772

26.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$36.62 ALL 2,987

14.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.15 ALL 583

50.35%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.89 ALL 154

85.19%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.58 ALL 129

-8.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.87 ALL 70.7

1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.31 ALL 189

27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.21 ALL 262

40.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.07 ALL 169

-30.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.86 ALL 69.8

113.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.96 ALL 160

-19.90%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.94 ALL 240

-14.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.58 ALL 781

-13.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.87 ALL 642

7.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$13.07 ALL 1,066

-18.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.72 ALL 140

51.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.31 ALL 188

-37.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.43 ALL 117

37.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.37 ALL 112

52.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.01 ALL 82.5

83.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.23 ALL 101

76.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.14 ALL 92.7

-9.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.77 ALL 63.2

38.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.98 ALL 325

3.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$10.22 ALL 833

-0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.76 ALL 144

-4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.15 ALL 94.0

120.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.49 ALL 39.97

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$18.87 ALL 1,539

38.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.41 ALL 278

-5.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$3.17 ALL 258

-23.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$17.41 ALL 1,420

-81.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$2.11 ALL 172

-37.44%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$34.2K ALL 2.8M

-13.12%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$25.0K ALL 2.0M

-5.48%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$67.3 ALL 5,491

21.82%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$17.31 ALL 1,412

32.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$15.82 ALL 1,291

90.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$55.4 ALL 4,518

-6.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$24.79 ALL 2,022

-25.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$8.07 ALL 658

-38.29%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$93.7 ALL 7,642

110.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$46.93 ALL 3,827

-24.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$53.2 ALL 4,340

-24.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$93.5 ALL 7,627

-15.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$142 ALL 11.6K

-37.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$447 ALL 36.4K

112.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$340 ALL 27.8K

39.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$621 ALL 50.6K

164.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$430 ALL 35.1K

181.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,734 ALL 141.4K

133.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,088 ALL 88.7K

494.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lac: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $447 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 $242 – 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 16%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,630 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 $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $93.7 in Lac. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% 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 $1,087, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.