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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $726 in Lipljan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,076 in Lipljan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,426 in Lipljan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 75% more than Lipljan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Lipljan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Lipljan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.50 €3.02

239.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$14.13 €12.17

203.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.42 €2.95

211.40%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.19 €1.02

189.92%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.17 €1.01

28.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.99 €0.85

-4.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.33 €2.01

30.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.63 €2.27

75.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.31 €1.13

5.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.64 €0.55

189.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.40 €1.21

15.00%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.43 €1.23

81.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$6.09 €5.25

35.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.08 €4.38

64.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$6.39 €5.51

66.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.26 €1.09

108.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.38 €1.19

7.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.44 €1.24

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.18 €1.02

77.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.79 €0.68

135.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.80 €0.69

182.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.73 €0.63

45.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.56 €0.48

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.43 €2.96

20.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.75 €4.95

80.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.96 €0.82

79.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.45 €1.25

80.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.17 €1.01

-53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.35 €2.03

33.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.54 €0.47

364.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.71 €4.92

-44.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.52 €1.31

-16.45%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$22.8K €19.7K

32.99%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$25.3K €21.8K

-6.98%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$85.5 €73.6

-2.87%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$4.52 €3.89

402.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$19.17 €16.52

53.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.54 €3.91

8.59%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$173 €149

14.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,844 €2,451

85.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$39.67 €34.18

-6.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$30.92 €26.64

29.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$56.5 €48.67

41.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$83.7 €72.1

6.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$410 €353

133.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$277 €239

72.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$746 €643

120.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$498 €429

146.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,484 €1,278

164.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,119 €964

477.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$458 €395

45.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

2.85

300.70%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lipljan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $410 in Lipljan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 46% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $14.00 in Lipljan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $153 – making Lipljan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Lipljan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 75% more than Lipljan, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,089 in Lipljan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lipljan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $14.00 in Lipljan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lipljan, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Lipljan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lipljan costs $726 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Lipljan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.