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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,059 in Lehliu Gara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,623 in Lehliu Gara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,187 in Lehliu Gara.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 19% 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 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$11.30 RON 51.6

3.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$46.02 RON 210

-8.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$7.91 RON 36.13

32.87%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.66 RON 12.17

34.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$2.19 RON 9.99

-31.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$1.88 RON 8.61

-51.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.34 RON 10.69

26.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$3.40 RON 15.52

29.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.32 RON 6.03

6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$0.82 RON 3.76

129.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.93 RON 8.82

-19.17%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$3.64 RON 16.60

-28.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$8.61 RON 39.32

-3.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$6.33 RON 28.90

31.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$9.28 RON 42.38

17.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.21 RON 5.52

123.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.71 RON 7.82

-11.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.65 RON 7.54

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$1.89 RON 8.65

15.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.06 RON 4.86

75.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.16 RON 5.27

92.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.91 RON 4.14

17.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.78 RON 3.56

39.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$5.93 RON 27.07

-29.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$5.39 RON 24.62

93.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$0.93 RON 4.23

78.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$1.29 RON 5.90

102.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.67 RON 3.08

-19.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$20.07 RON 91.7

30.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$0.69 RON 3.14

346.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.87 RON 3.95

175.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$7.66 RON 34.97

-59.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.54 RON 7.05

-14.94%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$27.9K RON 127.5K

6.75%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$26.3K RON 120.0K

-11.26%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$162 RON 742

-49.97%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$8.42 RON 38.45

167.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$8.66 RON 39.54

247.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$41.87 RON 191

26.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$19.03 RON 86.9

-3.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$6.63 RON 30.28

-25.79%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$662 RON 3,025

-69.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$5,495 RON 25.1K

-5.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$99.3 RON 454

-63.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$35.52 RON 162

12.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$62.8 RON 287

27.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$97.6 RON 446

-11.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$381 RON 1,741

156.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$291 RON 1,330

61.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$579 RON 2,642

185.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$439 RON 2,006

173.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$2,076 RON 9,481

90.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$1,371 RON 6,262

381.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lehliu Gara: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $381 in Lehliu Gara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $46.00 in Lehliu Gara. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $198, 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 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,589 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $381 in Lehliu Gara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $662 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 $1,059 in Lehliu Gara versus $1,260 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 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.