Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lloret de Mar Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lloret de Mar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,587 in Lloret de Mar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,454 in Lloret de Mar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,322 in Lloret de Mar.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 19% less than in Lloret de Mar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Lloret de Mar is 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Lloret de Mar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.94 MX$209
$13.83 €11.84
-13.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.75 MX$748
$46.01 €39.39
-7.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 MX$185
$6.75 €5.78
56.89%
Cappuccino
$3.62 MX$63.4
$1.84 €1.57
96.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 MX$25.69
$2.40 €2.06
-38.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 MX$16.51
$1.65 €1.41
-43.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.09 MX$54.1
$3.57 €3.06
-13.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46 MX$78.0
$3.40 €2.91
31.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Lloret de Mar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 MX$24.94
$1.22 €1.05
17.21%
White Bread (500g)
$1.88 MX$32.97
$2.08 €1.78
-9.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 MX$28.50
$1.60 €1.37
1.87%
Eggs
$2.64 MX$46.26
$2.98 €2.55
-11.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.21 MX$144
$11.75 €10.06
-30.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.29 MX$145
$7.16 €6.13
15.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.10 MX$194
$17.19 €14.71
-35.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.65 MX$46.40
$2.57 €2.20
3.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$26.26
$1.73 €1.48
-13.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$34.79
$2.89 €2.48
-31.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 MX$36.33
$2.97 €2.54
-29.97%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 MX$31.29
$1.19 €1.02
50.42%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 MX$38.09
$1.48 €1.27
47.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 MX$18.84
$1.49 €1.28
-27.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 MX$18.15
$0.63 €0.54
65.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.97 MX$69.5
$5.64 €4.83
-29.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.20 MX$179
$5.42 €4.64
88.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 MX$30.22
$1.19 €1.02
45.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 MX$43.71
$1.52 €1.30
64.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Lloret de Mar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 MX$9.07
$2.23 €1.91
-76.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.97 MX$472
$27.36 €23.42
-1.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.14 MX$55.0
$4.17 €3.57
-24.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.40 MX$42.04
$2.10 €1.80
14.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.09 MX$54.0
$22.69 €19.42
-86.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 MX$22.28
$1.74 €1.49
-27.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K MX$540.4K
$28.8K €24.7K
7.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$408.0K
$30.1K €25.8K
-22.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Lloret de Mar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.0 MX$1,435
$122 €104
-32.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.45 MX$393
$15.67 €13.42
43.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.66 MX$519
$35.22 €30.15
-15.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Lloret de Mar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.9 MX$908
$71.5 €61.2
-27.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.67 MX$327
$14.97 €12.82
24.72%
Cinema Ticket
$4.97 MX$87.0
$8.04 €6.88
-38.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Lloret de Mar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$198 MX$3,462
$330 €282
-40.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,273 MX$92.3K
$6,955 €5,953
-24.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Lloret de Mar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.34 MX$636
$96.9 €83.0
-62.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.05 MX$701
$34.95 €29.92
14.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 MX$1,398
$77.2 €66.1
3.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.9 MX$1,555
$102 €87.5
-13.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Lloret de Mar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$963 MX$16.9K
$849 €726
13.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$465 MX$8,133
$664 €569
-30.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,596 MX$27.9K
$1,848 €1,582
-13.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,209 MX$21.2K
$1,246 €1,067
-3.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,942 MX$69.0K
$3,357 €2,873
17.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,448 MX$112.8K
$2,317 €1,983
178.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Lloret de Mar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$720 MX$12.6K
$1,428 €1,222
-49.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.42
3.5
226.29%

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 Lloret de Mar: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $849 in Lloret de Mar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lloret de Mar pays 98% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $46.00 in Lloret de Mar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $264 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Lloret de Mar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Lloret de Mar?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Lloret de Mar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Playa del Carmen or Lloret de Mar?
On paper, Lloret de Mar earns 98% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Playa del Carmen vs Lloret de Mar?
Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $849 in Lloret de Mar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Playa del Carmen and Lloret de Mar?
Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $330 in Lloret de Mar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or Lloret de Mar?
Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Lloret de Mar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or Lloret de Mar?
At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,587 in Lloret de Mar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lloret de Mar. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Playa del Carmen or Lloret de Mar?
Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,287 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.
How safe is Playa del Carmen compared to Lloret de Mar?
Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Lloret de Mar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Lloret de Mar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities