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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $924 in Limbe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,560 in Limbe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,197 in Limbe.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 37% more expensive than in Limbe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Limbe 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.38 FCFA 2,500

164.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$125 FCFA 71.2K

-62.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.19 FCFA 4,103

65.23%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.11 FCFA 635

258.56%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.56 FCFA 889

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.82 FCFA 466

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.27 FCFA 723

151.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.61 FCFA 1,491

160.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$2.66 FCFA 1,519

-36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.45 FCFA 255

388.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.67 FCFA 952

2.40%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.99 FCFA 1,138

37.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.59 FCFA 5,473

-0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.81 FCFA 2,746

87.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$6.63 FCFA 3,783

93.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.97 FCFA 1,124

46.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.14 FCFA 652

31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.98 FCFA 1,130

8.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.42 FCFA 812

59.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.99 FCFA 1,137

-0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$2.23 FCFA 1,273

-10.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.77 FCFA 441

59.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.63 FCFA 358

90.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.59 FCFA 1,480

75.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.73 FCFA 4,984

18.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.51 FCFA 860

7.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.87 FCFA 1,068

54.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.85 FCFA 483

-29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$26.65 FCFA 15.2K

8.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.55 FCFA 313

880.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.23 FCFA 132

1521.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$1.74 FCFA 996

231.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.14 FCFA 650

35.09%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$30.6K FCFA 17.4M

-26.25%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$16.1K FCFA 9.2M

62.11%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$89.7 FCFA 51.2K

1.91%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$26.16 FCFA 14.9K

-3.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$84.2 FCFA 48.0K

-62.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$44.06 FCFA 25.1K

52.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$4.47 FCFA 2,554

8.72%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$348 FCFA 198.6K

-35.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$1,747 FCFA 996.8K

142.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$83.1 FCFA 47.4K

-43.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$68.0 FCFA 38.8K

-34.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$145 FCFA 82.7K

-44.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$154 FCFA 87.7K

-39.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$138 FCFA 78.8K

182.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$140 FCFA 79.9K

808.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

19.04

-39.86%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Limbe: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $125 in Limbe. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $200, with Limbe 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 Limbe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Limbe differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $924 including rent). Limbe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,386 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Limbe – a meal for two runs $125 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $924 in Limbe versus $1,266 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 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.