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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $997 in Lalmatie.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,586 in Lalmatie.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,176 in Lalmatie.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 31% more expensive than in Lalmatie, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Lalmatie 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$5.83 MUR 273

105.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$38.69 MUR 1,810

22.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.58 MUR 355

55.01%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.60 MUR 122

58.46%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.02 MUR 47.70

37.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.48 MUR 22.34

89.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.86 MUR 86.8

72.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.18 MUR 102

224.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.55 MUR 72.5

8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.18 MUR 8.33

1094.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.14 MUR 53.5

55.26%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.65 MUR 124

6.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.32 MUR 249

72.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.16 MUR 288

49.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$11.53 MUR 539

9.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.74 MUR 128

7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.45 MUR 115

-35.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.46 MUR 68.4

52.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.02 MUR 94.4

16.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.00 MUR 46.73

99.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.95 MUR 44.69

108.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.70 MUR 32.54

77.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.84 MUR 39.40

44.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$6.49 MUR 304

-29.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.70 MUR 360

36.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.63 MUR 76.3

3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.37 MUR 111

16.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.08 MUR 50.6

-44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$53.7 MUR 2,515

-44.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$4.28 MUR 200

22.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.23 MUR 57.7

196.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$21.61 MUR 1,011

-73.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.38 MUR 64.6

11.59%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$36.2K MUR 1.7M

-37.01%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

-18.57%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$45.94 MUR 2,150

97.37%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$10.47 MUR 490

140.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$29.23 MUR 1,368

8.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$35.24 MUR 1,649

95.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.22 MUR 291

-21.86%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$98.1 MUR 4,591

130.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$7,613 MUR 356.3K

-44.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$12.26 MUR 574

286.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$24.68 MUR 1,155

76.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$49.16 MUR 2,301

63.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$38.04 MUR 1,780

140.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$584 MUR 27.3K

85.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$400 MUR 18.7K

2.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,111 MUR 52.0K

77.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$856 MUR 40.0K

49.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$624 MUR 29.2K

23.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.67

71.66%

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 Lalmatie: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $584 in Lalmatie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 24% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Lalmatie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $204 per month, with Lalmatie cheaper across the board.

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 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $584 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 81% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $98.1 in Lalmatie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $997 in Lalmatie versus $1,305 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 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.