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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,048 in Lehliu Gara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,597 in Lehliu Gara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,145 in Lehliu Gara.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than 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

$11.87 MX$204

$11.55 RON 52.3

2.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$46.85 RON 212

-8.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.93 RON 35.85

34.30%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.62 RON 11.83

31.68%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.21 RON 10.01

-32.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.91 RON 8.66

-50.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.32 RON 10.51

30.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.29 RON 14.88

40.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.38 RON 6.23

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.83 RON 3.77

122.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.85 RON 8.36

-12.97%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.66 RON 16.55

-29.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.21 RON 37.15

0.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.31 RON 28.54

32.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.33 RON 42.21

14.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.26 RON 5.69

108.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.71 RON 7.73

-12.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.65 RON 7.48

16.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.89 RON 8.56

10.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.06 RON 4.81

75.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.10 RON 4.98

105.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.88 RON 3.96

20.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.75 RON 3.38

45.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.79 RON 26.20

-28.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.36 RON 24.24

93.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.94 RON 4.24

82.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.29 RON 5.83

102.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.72 RON 3.24

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$20.05 RON 90.7

34.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.72 RON 3.27

334.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.83 RON 3.77

202.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$7.65 RON 34.61

-58.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.54 RON 6.99

-17.53%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$28.3K RON 128.0K

7.37%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$25.9K RON 117.1K

-8.93%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$165 RON 747

-49.73%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$8.17 RON 36.95

177.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$8.86 RON 40.06

232.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$41.91 RON 190

21.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$19.26 RON 87.1

-4.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.74 RON 30.50

-26.85%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$653 RON 2,954

-69.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$5,511 RON 24.9K

-4.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$101 RON 455

-63.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$35.72 RON 162

11.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$62.7 RON 283

27.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$97.4 RON 440

-8.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$388 RON 1,757

146.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$292 RON 1,321

63.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$596 RON 2,697

176.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$440 RON 1,992

178.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,821 RON 8,238

115.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,274 RON 5,763

406.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lehliu Gara: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $388 in Lehliu Gara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $47.00 in Lehliu Gara. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 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 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,572 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $388 in Lehliu Gara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $653 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 $1,048 in Lehliu Gara versus $1,271 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 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.