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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $971 in Lalmatie.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,594 in Lalmatie.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,217 in Lalmatie.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 34% more expensive than Lalmatie, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Lalmatie 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.75 MUR 319

73.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$44.02 MUR 2,080

-5.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.00 MUR 331

52.00%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.66 MUR 126

32.33%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.96 MUR 45.18

57.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.49 MUR 23.25

97.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.87 MUR 88.2

57.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.16 MUR 102

106.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.70 MUR 80.2

-18.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.17 MUR 7.93

1011.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.29 MUR 60.8

27.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.35 MUR 111

6.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$12.57 MUR 594

-33.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.35 MUR 300

31.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$12.78 MUR 604

-16.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.99 MUR 94.0

30.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.96 MUR 92.7

-25.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.48 MUR 70.1

28.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.08 MUR 98.2

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.00 MUR 47.09

78.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.93 MUR 44.07

135.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.74 MUR 34.90

40.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.80 MUR 37.86

35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$6.77 MUR 320

-39.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.44 MUR 351

38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.78 MUR 84.3

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.26 MUR 107

14.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.04 MUR 48.99

-50.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$54.8 MUR 2,591

-51.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$4.42 MUR 209

-26.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.22 MUR 57.6

104.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$20.11 MUR 950

-83.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.40 MUR 66.1

-6.43%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

-14.70%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

-17.29%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$46.78 MUR 2,210

77.15%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$12.77 MUR 603

74.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$33.13 MUR 1,565

-11.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$37.92 MUR 1,792

36.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.93 MUR 280

-14.50%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$100 MUR 4,734

100.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,982 MUR 188.1K

30.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$12.67 MUR 598

191.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$25.17 MUR 1,189

58.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$50.8 MUR 2,398

54.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$38.15 MUR 1,803

128.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$517 MUR 24.4K

88.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$356 MUR 16.8K

31.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$964 MUR 45.6K

70.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$729 MUR 34.5K

67.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$624 MUR 29.5K

6.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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 Lalmatie: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $517 in Lalmatie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Lalmatie. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $225, with Lalmatie 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 Lalmatie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lalmatie is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 6% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $517 in Lalmatie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lalmatie runs roughly 107% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $100 in Lalmatie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $971 in Lalmatie versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lalmatie but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lalmatie the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lalmatie is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Lalmatie 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 Lalmatie gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.