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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,058 in Lehliu Gara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,604 in Lehliu Gara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,150 in Lehliu Gara.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Lehliu Gara 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$11.63 RON 50.6

2.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$45.50 RON 198

-6.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$8.26 RON 35.93

28.21%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.62 RON 11.41

38.17%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$2.10 RON 9.13

-30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$1.86 RON 8.08

-49.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.24 RON 9.75

37.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.37 RON 14.65

32.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.33 RON 5.79

7.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.83 RON 3.62

126.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.93 RON 8.39

-15.54%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$3.76 RON 16.34

-29.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$8.38 RON 36.47

-2.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.16 RON 26.77

34.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$9.32 RON 40.54

19.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.22 RON 5.29

117.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.67 RON 7.26

-10.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.72 RON 7.47

15.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.91 RON 8.30

8.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.03 RON 4.47

73.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.10 RON 4.80

98.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.94 RON 4.10

14.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.75 RON 3.25

38.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$5.82 RON 25.33

-31.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$5.80 RON 25.23

75.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$0.88 RON 3.82

96.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.30 RON 5.67

92.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.66 RON 2.86

-21.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$20.18 RON 87.8

33.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.73 RON 3.17

330.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.89 RON 3.86

169.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$7.39 RON 32.13

-58.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.55 RON 6.72

-18.06%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$28.5K RON 124.0K

8.34%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$26.1K RON 113.5K

-10.61%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$165 RON 718

-50.28%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$8.54 RON 37.14

162.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$8.39 RON 36.50

253.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$42.11 RON 183

23.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$19.11 RON 83.1

-2.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$6.77 RON 29.46

-26.59%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$659 RON 2,867

-69.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$5,477 RON 23.8K

-3.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$101 RON 438

-63.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$35.35 RON 154

13.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$64.4 RON 280

24.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$96.2 RON 419

-7.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$383 RON 1,664

151.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$293 RON 1,273

58.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$579 RON 2,517

175.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$439 RON 1,910

175.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$1,852 RON 8,054

112.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,292 RON 5,621

398.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.5

75.69%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Lehliu Gara: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $383 in Lehliu Gara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $46.00 in Lehliu Gara. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $197, with Lehliu Gara 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 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 $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,587 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $383 in Lehliu Gara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $659 in Lehliu Gara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,058 in Lehliu Gara versus $1,287 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.