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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $644 in Limbe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $894 in Limbe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,144 in Limbe.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 100% more expensive than Limbe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Limbe 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$4.43 FCFA 2,485

169.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.07 FCFA 602

238.32%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.55 FCFA 867

-5.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.87 FCFA 486

8.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.74 FCFA 974

77.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.58 FCFA 1,449

72.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.61 FCFA 1,465

-45.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.66 FCFA 932

-1.81%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.16 FCFA 1,214

22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$9.79 FCFA 5,491

-16.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.07 FCFA 2,843

63.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$6.58 FCFA 3,693

68.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.91 FCFA 1,071

38.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.14 FCFA 641

31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.97 FCFA 1,107

1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.93 FCFA 1,081

7.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.89 FCFA 1,060

-5.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.92 FCFA 516

17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.71 FCFA 961

-39.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.62 FCFA 1,467

51.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.00 FCFA 1,122

-13.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.70 FCFA 1,512

-7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.87 FCFA 485

-40.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$26.10 FCFA 14.6K

3.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.51 FCFA 288

515.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.20 FCFA 110

1100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$1.73 FCFA 968

78.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.15 FCFA 647

10.43%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$88.1 FCFA 49.4K

-6.87%

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

$22.45 MX$393

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$85.0 FCFA 47.7K

-65.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$44.31 FCFA 24.9K

17.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.35 FCFA 2,440

14.25%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$358 FCFA 201.0K

-44.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$1,764 FCFA 989.2K

198.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$117 FCFA 65.5K

724.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$111 FCFA 62.1K

319.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$346 FCFA 194.0K

361.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$201 FCFA 113.0K

499.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$233 FCFA 130.9K

2663.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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 Limbe: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $117 in Limbe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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 Limbe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Limbe differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $644 including rent). Limbe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $966 in Limbe 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 $117 in Limbe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $358 in Limbe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Limbe runs roughly 3% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $644 in Limbe versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Limbe but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Limbe 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 Limbe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.