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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $976 in Lalmatie.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,581 in Lalmatie.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,185 in Lalmatie.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than in Lalmatie, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Lalmatie 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.70 MUR 315

78.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$44.07 MUR 2,070

-5.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.00 MUR 329

53.57%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.60 MUR 122

34.62%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.02 MUR 48.08

42.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.49 MUR 23.08

79.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.85 MUR 86.7

59.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.12 MUR 99.4

112.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.70 MUR 79.6

-15.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.19 MUR 9.07

868.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.34 MUR 62.8

17.16%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.27 MUR 107

10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$12.62 MUR 593

-34.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.10 MUR 286

38.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$12.70 MUR 597

-15.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.04 MUR 95.6

27.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.92 MUR 90.3

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.43 MUR 67.3

37.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.05 MUR 96.2

1.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.04 MUR 48.78

77.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.95 MUR 44.85

128.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.78 MUR 36.69

32.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.75 MUR 35.33

42.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$6.72 MUR 316

-38.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.61 MUR 358

33.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.73 MUR 81.5

-2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.21 MUR 104

14.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.03 MUR 48.50

-50.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$55.2 MUR 2,594

-52.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.29 MUR 202

-24.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.26 MUR 59.3

91.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$19.53 MUR 917

-83.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.46 MUR 68.8

-9.59%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

-16.05%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$29.3K MUR 1.4M

-19.33%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$46.66 MUR 2,192

75.76%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$12.61 MUR 592

82.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$33.42 MUR 1,570

-9.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$37.85 MUR 1,778

37.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.02 MUR 283

-17.28%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$99.4 MUR 4,669

98.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$3,987 MUR 187.3K

33.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$12.45 MUR 585

185.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$24.79 MUR 1,164

62.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$49.73 MUR 2,336

58.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$38.44 MUR 1,806

131.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$515 MUR 24.2K

83.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$349 MUR 16.4K

35.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$940 MUR 44.1K

74.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$717 MUR 33.7K

68.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$618 MUR 29.0K

5.76%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lalmatie: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $515 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 $223, 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 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $515 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 112% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $99.4 in Lalmatie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $976 in Lalmatie versus $1,256 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 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.