Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lima Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $980 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,520 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,061 in Lima.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 32% more expensive than Lima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Lima 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$4.12 PEN 14.05

184.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$33.17 PEN 113

25.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$6.79 PEN 23.14

53.31%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.63 PEN 8.98

37.26%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.94 PEN 3.19

55.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.60 PEN 2.04

61.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.25 PEN 7.68

29.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$3.82 PEN 13.02

20.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.47 PEN 5.03

-2.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$2.60 PEN 8.86

-26.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.31 PEN 4.47

19.85%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.87 PEN 9.78

-8.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$7.84 PEN 26.73

7.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$5.51 PEN 18.80

55.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$10.60 PEN 36.15

3.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.06 PEN 7.03

31.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.13 PEN 3.84

33.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.10 PEN 3.77

73.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.25 PEN 4.25

73.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.02 PEN 3.48

83.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$0.93 PEN 3.17

139.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.82 PEN 2.78

31.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.89 PEN 3.03

20.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$5.49 PEN 18.70

-24.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$8.64 PEN 29.44

19.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.76 PEN 5.99

-4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.98 PEN 10.17

-15.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.66 PEN 2.26

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$30.53 PEN 104

-13.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$3.34 PEN 11.39

-4.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$2.15 PEN 7.34

14.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$8.49 PEN 28.93

-62.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.30 PEN 4.42

1.54%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$19.2K PEN 65.5K

57.06%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$24.1K PEN 82.2K

-3.03%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$55.8 PEN 190

45.79%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$12.35 PEN 42.10

81.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$23.96 PEN 81.7

25.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$30.52 PEN 104

68.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$18.57 PEN 63.3

-0.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$6.76 PEN 23.06

-23.67%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$220 PEN 751

-8.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$7,863 PEN 26.8K

-32.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$50.9 PEN 174

-30.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$35.62 PEN 121

13.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$90.6 PEN 309

-13.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$89.0 PEN 304

-2.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$622 PEN 2,120

52.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$352 PEN 1,200

35.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$1,019 PEN 3,474

59.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$637 PEN 2,171

92.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$2,318 PEN 7,903

72.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,411 PEN 4,811

358.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$649 PEN 2,211

3.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.11

12.96%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Lima: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $622 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 4% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $219 per month, with Lima 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 Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Lima differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $980 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 4% more on average, 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $622 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $220 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $980 in Lima versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.