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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $975 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,515 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,055 in Lima.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than in Lima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Lima 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.24 PEN 14.40

176.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$33.85 PEN 115

23.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.10 PEN 24.11

48.03%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.58 PEN 8.77

39.15%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.90 PEN 3.07

67.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.64 PEN 2.19

43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.24 PEN 7.60

32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.92 PEN 13.30

12.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.47 PEN 4.99

-4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.63 PEN 8.91

-28.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.31 PEN 4.46

19.08%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.96 PEN 10.06

-11.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.03 PEN 27.26

3.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.59 PEN 18.97

49.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.56 PEN 35.86

2.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.00 PEN 6.77

35.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.11 PEN 3.78

36.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.14 PEN 3.86

64.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.26 PEN 4.28

73.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.98 PEN 3.33

89.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.01 PEN 3.42

120.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.82 PEN 2.80

30.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.87 PEN 2.97

25.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$5.48 PEN 18.62

-23.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.85 PEN 30.06

17.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.71 PEN 5.80

-2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.93 PEN 9.93

-10.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.71 PEN 2.42

-23.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$30.86 PEN 105

-15.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.39 PEN 11.49

-9.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.12 PEN 7.20

13.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$8.48 PEN 28.80

-63.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.32 PEN 4.48

-0.76%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$19.7K PEN 66.8K

51.54%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$24.9K PEN 84.7K

-6.48%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$57.0 PEN 194

42.57%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$12.83 PEN 43.54

75.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$23.68 PEN 80.4

26.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$31.09 PEN 106

70.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$18.87 PEN 64.1

-2.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.84 PEN 23.22

-28.07%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$223 PEN 757

-9.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$7,847 PEN 26.6K

-34.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$50.3 PEN 171

-28.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$35.93 PEN 122

11.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$90.3 PEN 307

-11.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$90.4 PEN 307

-4.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$621 PEN 2,109

57.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$352 PEN 1,197

33.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,037 PEN 3,519

59.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$622 PEN 2,113

93.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,363 PEN 8,023

67.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,424 PEN 4,836

363.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$636 PEN 2,160

6.34%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lima: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $621 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 6% 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 $34.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $220 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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $975 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $621 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $223 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $975 in Lima versus $1,260 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 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.