Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lehliu Gara Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lehliu Gara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,072 in Lehliu Gara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,616 in Lehliu Gara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,161 in Lehliu Gara.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 22% more expensive than in Lehliu Gara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Lehliu Gara 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$11.23 RON 50.8

6.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$43.62 RON 198

8.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.91 RON 35.85

48.55%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.60 RON 11.78

58.46%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.23 RON 10.09

-37.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.99 RON 9.00

-54.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.16 RON 9.76

48.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.30 RON 14.97

114.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.26 RON 5.69

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.74 RON 3.37

190.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.87 RON 8.49

-5.35%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$3.62 RON 16.38

-22.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.17 RON 37.01

12.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.08 RON 27.53

51.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$8.88 RON 40.20

42.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.34 RON 6.07

120.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.56 RON 7.05

1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.58 RON 7.15

40.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.91 RON 8.64

23.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.94 RON 4.26

111.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.07 RON 4.84

85.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.91 RON 4.11

36.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.78 RON 3.51

55.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$5.93 RON 26.87

-22.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$5.47 RON 24.78

92.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.02 RON 4.64

65.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.24 RON 5.63

123.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.83 RON 3.74

-27.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$22.56 RON 102

31.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$0.69 RON 3.14

659.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.73 RON 3.31

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$7.19 RON 32.57

-19.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.82 RON 8.26

-15.38%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$29.2K RON 132.2K

-21.86%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$25.7K RON 116.2K

0.63%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$160 RON 724

-43.29%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$8.19 RON 37.08

207.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$8.38 RON 37.94

278.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$37.42 RON 169

83.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$22.47 RON 102

30.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.68 RON 30.24

-27.25%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$625 RON 2,830

-63.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$5,195 RON 23.5K

-19.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$99.6 RON 451

-52.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$34.26 RON 155

26.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$63.3 RON 286

26.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$87.2 RON 395

4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$435 RON 1,972

149.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$320 RON 1,451

27.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$643 RON 2,911

206.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$537 RON 2,432

138.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,674 RON 7,579

141.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,472 RON 6,667

355.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.2

59.03%

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 Lehliu Gara: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $435 in Lehliu Gara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Lehliu Gara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $192 per month, with Lehliu Gara 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 Lehliu Gara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lehliu Gara is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,608 in Lehliu Gara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $435 in Lehliu Gara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $625 in Lehliu Gara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,072 in Lehliu Gara versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lehliu Gara but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lehliu Gara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lehliu Gara 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 Lehliu Gara 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 Lehliu Gara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.